Inside Albania’s Secret Nuclear Bunkers
What a World
Convinced of an attack from both East and West, Albania built thousands of concrete-and-iron bunkers. Now, they are being repurposed as stores, restaurants, & tattoo studios.
For two decades, Albania furiously built cement bunkers, steeling itself for the onslaught of nuclear warfare that never came. Today, the country has nearly as many fortifications as it does people.
In 1967, Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha became convinced that his small state would be invaded at any moment, and began preparing.
Already 23 years into his reign, he launched a program of “bunkerization.”