Cheap European city that’s ‘a real life Christmas Fairy Tale’ has two-night holidays for £56

CHRISTMAS is looming, and whilst it might be too early to be putting up the tree, it’s a great time to start planning a festive getaway.

Tirana’s Winter Festival will take place in the Albanian capital throughout December, and two-night breaks are ridiculously cheap.

The city’s Winter Festival has been described as a “real-life Christmas fairy tale” by Visit Tirana.

A description on the tourism board website reads: “What makes Tirana’s Winter fest so unique is the warm-hearted atmosphere, the memorable holiday spirit of the locals, the traditions that make everyone feel at home.”

Tirana Winter Festival will be held in three locations, including Skanderbeg Square (the main square in the city), Blloku (a new trendy neighbourhood) and Pazari i Ri (a marketplace).

Skanderbeg Square serves as the main Christmas market with a huge Christmas tree taking centre stage.

Other attractions in the square include a string of fun fair rides, like a Ferris Wheel, and several wooden chalets selling local delicacies and homemade gifts.

Glowing fairy lights decorate trees, lampposts, and buildings in the Albanian capital.

Previous visitors to Tirana’s Winter Festival wrote: “We enjoyed our time at the Christmas Market, almost more like a fun fair with lots of activities and rides”.

Another person added: “It’s nice to see during Christmas time”.

Tirana Winter Festival will run from December 6, 2024, until January 6, 2025 – with plenty of bargain breaks on offer for Brits.

Sun Online Travel have found two night breaks in December for £56 per person on lastminute.com.

The cheap deal includes return flights with Wizz Air from London Luton Airport.

Overnight stays are at the VH Broadway Tirana Center Hotel, which has been given a three-star rating on TripAdvisor.

Despite its three stars, many recent holidaymakers gave the hotel one-star reviews on the travel website.

For just £21 extra per person, holidaymakers can stay in the more positively-reviewed Hotel Kruja.

Just a five minute walk from Skanderbeg Square, the hotel has a four-star rating on TripAdvisor with visitors describing it as “good” in online reviews.

Tirana’s ridiculously cheap prices don’t just end there because food and drink is highly affordable too.

Last year, a team of travel experts at Eurochange reported the average cost of a pint in the city to be £2.06.

The travel website, In Love with Albania, lists several different types of national beer holidaymakers should sample, including Birra Korca, which is often considered to be the first Albanian beer.

Not only are the pints cheap, but plates of grub in the city are extremely affordable too.

Holidaymakers should try traditional dishes like grosh, tave kosi, lakror and byrek.

The travel experts at eurochange have revealed that holidaymakers can purchase a three-course meal for as little as £20.63 per person.

There are plenty of other activities and attractions away from Tirana’s Winter Festival, including Bunk’Art 1 – a massive Cold War bunker turned museum.

The bunker was originally built by dictator Enver Hoxha to protect himself and other high-ranking officials in the 1970s.

Nowadays, the underground space houses modern history exhibitions as well as pieces of contemporary art.

There’s also Bunk’Art 2, which opened more recently, and covers the history of the Albanian Ministry.

Another popular tourist attraction is the Cable Car, which is located just 15 minutes from the centre of the city.

The Dajti Ekspres is the longest cableway in the Balkans, and it gives holidaymakers views across the entire city.

At the summit, visitors will be able to enjoy a bite to eat at the rotating cafe, which is located on the 7th floor of the Dajti Tower Hotel.

Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina is also home to cheap beers too, with a pint costing less than £2.

Meanwhile, an often-ridiculed city in the north of England has the cheapest beers in the country and it’s been named a top place to visit in 2024.