Vila 31 was the private home of Albania’s communist dictator Enver Hoxha, in the middle of Blloku, the neighborhood that was closed to ordinary Albanians until 1991. Since April 2025 it has been an artists’ residency run by the French foundation Art Explora, and it opens to the public for events and open days rather than as a normal museum.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Where | Rruga Ismail Qemali 17, Blloku (Google Maps) |
| Status | Artists’ residency; public access on open days and during events |
| Price | Free when open |
| Time needed | 5 minutes from outside, about an hour on an open day |
The house
The villa was built in the early 1970s as a large extension to an older house, so that the younger generations of the Hoxha family could live together. By Albanian standards of the time it was extraordinary: a private swimming pool, imported furniture and a library, while most families shared a one-bedroom flat. The family lived here until the regime collapsed, and for decades afterwards the house stayed closed and mostly untouched.
Plans to open it were announced more than once over the years. It finally happened in April 2025, 40 years after Hoxha’s death, when Art Explora opened it as a residency where artists live and work in the dictator’s rooms.
Can you go inside Enver Hoxha’s house?
Only sometimes. On most days the gate is closed and you’ll see the house from the street. The residency holds open studios, exhibitions, talks and garden events, when the public can walk through. Check Art Explora and its Vila 31 social media for upcoming dates.
If you do get in, don’t expect a preserved museum of Hoxha’s life. It’s used as a working art space. For the history of the regime itself, pair it with the House of Leaves and Bunk’Art 2.
Visiting Blloku
The villa is a two-minute walk from the bars and cafés of Blloku, so it’s an easy stop on an evening out. Look out for the Rinia Park on the way back toward the boulevard.
FAQ
What is Vila 31?
Enver Hoxha’s former family home in Tirana’s Blloku, now an artists’ residency run by Art Explora.
Is Enver Hoxha’s villa open to the public?
On open days and during events. Most of the time you can only see it from the street.
