Anyone who travels to Albania with urbex ambitions is looking for some of the 200,000 bunkers built by the paranoid socialist dictator Enver Hoxha between 1972 and 1984. All through his reign, he feared foreign invasion and prepared for a potential nuclear war that could have started from the Adriatic Sea.

Together with the huge nuclear bunker in Tirana, now occupied by the Bunk‘Art 1 museum, Sazan was one of the main sites for military surveillance. Albania’s biggest island is situated a few kilometers off the shore of Vlorë and remained a military zone until the 2010s. Even today, some troops stay on the island, mostly operating as counter-smuggling SWAT.

Other parts were already abandoned during the "Civil Unrest" in 1997, giving the opportunity to roam through former barracks, cinemas, restaurants, hospitals, and schools left behind by the old regime. Find out more about how to get to Sazan, what there is to see on the island, and if it’s worth it.

What to See on Sazan Island in Albania?

Decades of military presence have left Sazan with numerous barricades and bunkers, rusty harbor cranes, and a large number of landmines. The mines themselves aren't an attraction, of course. It is important to know, though, not to wander too much off the tracks and stick to roads and buildings.

If you pass the military base at the port (no pictures allowed here!), you can walk up through the artificially planted pine forest. The Russians opted to let the trees grow here to provide more cover for efficient air defense.

While you walk up the hill, you will spot a few mushroom-shaped mini bunkers, the elementary school "22nd October", the living quarters, and the hospitals. Further up in the "VIP" zone of the military camp, you get a wonderful view of Paradise Bay, where fruits for the higher ranks would have grown. The combination of lush green pine trees and the deep-blue water is breathtaking.

Eventually, you will encounter the cinema, which you can reach via a staircase. This used to be the entertainment place for all of the common soldiers, while higher ranks had a separate "palace of culture", as it was named during Socialist times. It's situated right next to the old restaurant and market.

The buildings below the common cinema were built under Italian rule, easily recognizable because of the fake ancient-style columns. Contrary to the cinema itself, these structures are falling apart, though, so it isn't advisable to have a look inside.

About 20 minutes onwards, you will then reach the hospital, presumably dating back to the German presence. The guide I was with claimed that there was an old swastika on it, but I could only see the number 1929, which made me doubt his knowledge a bit.

• School "22nd October": Former school built in 1974 and named after the day of the liberation from German fascism. Some old desks and benches are still inside.
• Small Bunkers: Typical mushroom-shaped bunkers erected during the bunkerization program from 1975 to 1983
• Living Quarters, overgrown with vegetation: Situated along the road uphill. Common accommodations without showers.
• Common Cinema: Former "palace of culture" where movies were shown and concerts were held. Walk up the stairs to enter the large hall with a stage and enjoy the views from the backside towards Paradise Bay.
• VIP Cinema: Located a bit further away from the Common Cinema. It was only accessible to the higher ranks.
• Restaurant and Market: The place where food was sold and distributed. Soldiers on Sazan, unlike other people in Albania, had access to meat and premium products almost all of the time.
• Italian Structures: Next to the cinema. The structure looks quite unstable, but you can see the fake ancient columns that were widely used in fascist-time architecture to connect to the Roman past.
• Hospital: About 20 minutes further from the cinema. A large structure, probably built under Italian rule in the 1920s and later used by German occupants.

Relaxing at the Beach After Urbex on Sazan

Another attraction apart from urbex on Sazan is the nature. You will be stunned by the white (stony) beaches, the green forests, and the crystal-clear water. If it weren't for the stones and some bunkers, one could almost get Caribbean vibes. The azure blue water invites you to take a refreshing swim, perfect, especially after a 90- to 120-minute urbex hike in Sazan's hinterland.

From the port, the beach is situated northwards, meaning if you leave the ship and step your foot on land, you will have to turn to the right to reach the water. The other direction will lead you to the active military camp and eventually up the hill towards the abandoned buildings of Sazan.

How to Get to Sazan Island from Vlorë?

Since Sazan is an island, you need to go to the port of Vlorë and take a boat to cross over to the former military zone. Unfortunately, there is no regular ferry, so you will have to take some sort of tour boat. There are options to go in smaller groups by speedboat or opt for bigger party ferries with a whole entertainment program.

Honestly, both options are legitimate, even though I wasn't initially a fan of the latter. Once you arrive on the island, you can detach yourself from the rest of the group and enjoy the loneliness (in case that's what you aim for).

Party Boat or Private Transfer?

The party boat is generally cheaper. You can simply show up at the port and pay around 25 euros to get on the trip. Those ferries are huge and offer enough space, so they rarely run out of tickets. An alternative, but not really an alternative, is to book on GetYourGuide. The price was 50 percent higher. Just because of the lack of research time, I quickly reserved the tour boat online. At the port, we realized that everyone else paid much less. So the best option is to just show up there around 9 a. m.: most boats leave an hour later.

The advantage of the party boat, of course, is that you can get drinks on board, and some of the music played is quite fun. On the way back, it turned into a whole Balkan party, with locals dancing in circles to Albanian or Yugoslavian beats. That's something you will certainly not get when choosing a private yacht or a speedboat with a smaller group. On arrival, 90 percent of the passengers headed for the beach. For the rest, a group of maybe six to eight people, the crew offered a guide who brought us on a two-hour-long tour to the abandoned buildings of Sazan.

Do I Need a Guide for Sazan's Military Remains?

Yes, most likely you will need a guide, and they are usually provided by the boat tours. That said, the guides don't pay too much attention, and during the walk it's quite possible to wander off a bit, or rather ahead or behind. This gives you some time to enjoy nature inside the pine forest and take some nice pictures.

To go off the official track isn't recommended, though. The Albanian army has dug thousands of landmines in the ground. Therefore, I would very much suggest sticking to the roads and only entering abandoned buildings that the guide declares to you as safe.

What's the Whole Story of Sazan?

Sazan has quite an eventful history, belonging to the Republic of Venice until 1796, later to the Kingdom of Greece, and eventually being occupied by Italy during WW1. The Italians stayed until 1947, shortly interrupted by the German Fascist invasion, which ended on 22nd October 1944. After the war, Albania came under Russian influence, and Sazan was turned into a Soviet-built submarine base in the Adriatic Sea.

When the communist dictator Enver Hoxha broke with the Soviet Union, Sazan stayed under Albania’s military control as a special zone with up to 3.000 soldiers being stationed on the island. These soldiers used to live in barracks, some in more exquisite houses in the VIP area further up the hills.

Enver Hoxha's paranoia also led to Sazan becoming one of Albania’s regions with the most bunkers. There are approximately 3,600 mushroom-shaped nuclear bunkers on the isle. All over the country, the regime built around 200,000 of those concrete shelters between the 1970s and 1980s.

Since the 2010s, the island has been open for tourists, but of course, there’s no access to everything yet. What might be interesting to discover in the future is the extensive network of tunnels that lead through the whole underground of Sazan.

What to Take on an Urbex Trip to Sazan?

To discover Sazan's hinterland, you should have some proper shoes ready and take a cap or something to cover your head as well as sunscreen. In summer, the sun is burning hot here, and you will most likely end up with some severe UV injuries if you don't apply some protection.

If you want to go for a swim later, bring some beach shoes. Like in many places in Albania, the shore isn't sandy. There are pebbles and sharp stones, so if your feet aren't used to that, it's better to wear some protectors, easily available at almost any tourist shop along the coastline in Vlorë.

➔ You want to know more about Urbex in Albania? Check out the Industrial Sites of Fier.