St Paul's Archcathedral

St Paul's Cathedral on Boulevard Zhan d'Ark is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tirana-Durres - one of the few cathedrals newly built after Hoxha's religion ban. Consecrated in 2002 and dedicated to the Apostle Paul, said to have helped found the Christian community at Durres, it replaced a smaller 1865 church demolished in 1967. The plain concrete building with bright interior, large rose window and freestanding bell tower holds relics commemorating Albanian martyrs of the communist persecution. It sits along the Lana river and is freely accessible during the day.