Air Defense Position F-NS with Bunkers

Within the grounds of one of Albania’s most popular archaeological parks — alongside ancient ruins, a monastery, and a café — lie forgotten concrete relics of the Cold War.

An air defense position sits atop a hill. It is a modest installation: just four firing points for heavy machine guns, each formed as a circular concrete gun emplacement. Between them, antenna masts were intended to be raised. There are also protected garages for equipment, with openings in the roof to extend a radar dish or antenna. The whole complex is connected by a network of tunnels; at one junction, six passages converge at a single point. One of the garages stands apart, closer to the excavation site.

The position is unguarded and rarely reached by tourists. Inside one of the tunnels, traces of a homeless person’s overnight stay can be found. The park charges an entry fee, but you can climb the slope from the opposite side of the parking area and ticket booth and see both the bunkers and everything else entirely for free.