Nightclubs in Tirana stay open until very late. The music is sometimes live, especially at weekends. Outside Tirana, clubs of this sort are less common; in the coastal towns during the summer tourist season, music and dancing is laid on in the big hotels.

The local cinema chain, Millennium, has branches in all the large towns. They usually screen Hollywood films with Albanian subtitles.

Albania has a high standard of classical music. Opera, ballet and concert performances take place throughout the year in Tirana.

The best place in Albania to shop for traditional crafts is Kruja, less than an hour from Tirana. The bazaar there has felt-makers, rug-weavers and antique dealers. Many of the Kruja shops sell small souvenirs such as Albanian flags, copper plates and ashtrays in the shape of bunkers. Apart from Kruja, there are a few souvenir shops in Tirana, an artisans' co-operative in Gjirokastra and a souvenir stall at Butrint.

Shopping hours: Generally Mon-Sun 0900-1500 and then again for a couple of hours in the early evening (variable according to the time of year). Not all shops open on Sundays.

Tirana's nightlife scene has dramatically changed recently, with some great new clubs and even a clubbing organisation. Tirana may not be one of Europe's nightlife hotspots yet, but it's certainly improving fast. The fun starts with the lively xhiro (mass evening stroll) ending at the bllok's bustling cafes and bars. Cultural life takes the form of theatre, opera and concerts. Albanians prefer sipping coffee to serious drinking, and foreign types are often the only sad souls knocking back the hard stuff.

The new English-language www.TiranaByNight.com website is an excellent new initiative exploring and promoting nightlife in Tirana. The site has photos of parties and events, a fast-growing web community, information about clubs and bars and TbN also organises its own parties, inviting foreign and local DJs to Tirana.