The popular market in Albania is called the New Bazaar of Tirana. Albanians refer to it as the Pazari i Ri, and this is one of the oldest markets in Albania dating back to 1900. Although, the market was renovated and reconstructed in 2017. The market is a neighbourhood in Tirana, Albania, and it is known for its fresh produce and things you would in a regular market. If you are a first-timer in Albania, then I would recommend that you visit the New Bazaar in Tirana.
The New Bazaar is about a 0.3-mile walk from the main square in Tirana(use Google Maps). Preferably take either the bus or taxi if you stay far away from the Tirana city centre. But you might experience some traffic which will amount to the total time to get there. Around the New Bazaar, there are ATMs to withdraw cash because most trader there only accepts cash. Either use Monzo or Revolut cards to make withdrawals with no withdrawal fee. Both banks are online microfinance banks, so you don’t have to go through the long process of creating an account. However, you can try using your normal bank cards.
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New Bazaar Tirana Shops
The market has a glass door entrance into the main section with some grocery shops by its side. While walking into the main section of the market, you will find some nice fresh produce meats and fish of different types. But inside the market, you will find all kinds of fresh produce vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, some nice regional Albania wine and raki. The new renovation and reconstruction of the market give a greenhouse vibe to it, making the look appealing in appearance.
How busy the market is depends on the day of the week. Regardless, you will find not less than 200 people coming into to market to get different items. The shops are open spaces, and well arranged with items well placed for buyers to see. On a busy market day, the New Bazaar can have over 300 farmers and traders from the surrounding areas coming to sell their products.
You shouldn’t worry about language barriers because some of these traders understand English a bit while those who don’t speak English will find a way to communicate with you. Learning a few basic Albanain Phares like “Mirëdita” (Good Day), “Faleminderit” (Thank you), and “Ju lutem” (Please) can be helpful as well.
Are things expensive at the Pazari i Ri?
The New Bazaar Market(Pazari i Ri) in Tirana is well known for its fresh produce fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. However, you can find a lot of items that are budget-friendly but this solely depends on what you are buying. Some of the products there don’t have a price tag, so you can negotiate the price. Otherwise, you then have to pay exactly what the price tag says. You can get bananas for 240 Lek, which is 3 USD, and you can get other nice fresh produce fruits for less than 200 Lek.
This region is known for olives, the Mediterranean Olive, so you will get to see a lot of olives at the New Bazaar Market(Pazari i Ri) in Tirana starting at 250 Lek to 400 Lek per kilogram. I would recommend you try them because they are nice fresh and nutritious produce. You can get lots of choices on things to buy during the day because the market has a lot more traders and farmers who come in more in the daytime. There’s the touristy section of the market for tourists. Here, you can get some nice stuff like pottery, souvenirs and other interesting things that you would like.
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