From Tirana: Spaç prison-Albania’s infamous Communist gulag.
ID: GYG889600-1397740
Category:
Country: Albania
Duration:
07:00 hours
Description
A visit at the Spaç prison & the copper mine via a guided tour from Tirana.
Immerse yourself in the prison's history and the lives of the prisoners that it affected.
Explore the Spaç Prison, a notorious labor camp established in 1968 by the Communist government of Albania at the site of a copper and pyrite mine, in a remote and mountainous area in the center of the country. Learn about the political prisoners held at Spaç, including some of the most prominent Albanian intellectuals of the twentieth century.
Visit the site of the labor camp, on a terraced slope below the tunnel entrances to the mine. Learn how the site was so remote and unforgiving that no perimeter wall was needed to secure the complex, only barbed wire fencing punctuated by occasional guard posts and a front gate.
Hear the story of the French-Albanian artist Maks Velo, who was taken into custody in 1978 and sentenced to ten years imprisonment at Spaç. Listen to his description of the camp as “the most terrible camp in Europe and I think in the world during this period.”
Highlights
- Learn about the history of the Spaç Prison and the lives of the prisoners
- Discover the remote and unforgiving site of the Spaç Prison and Copper Mine
- Visit the site of the labor camp, on a terraced slope below the tunnel entrances
- Come face-to-face, or even face-to-screen, with the realities of brutal regimes
- Look at the scratches made by previous prisoners
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Wear comfortable walking shoes as the terrain can be uneven.
Bring water , especially during summer months.
The site is not wheelchair accessible.
Weather-appropriate clothing
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.
