State of Culture in Albania 2025 · Municipal profiles · Artivista Center (Qendra Artivista)
This profile is based on information provided by the Municipality of Tropojë in reply to Artivista's request for information on culture (2026), the municipality's medium term budget plans (PBA), and INSTAT's 2023 Population and Housing Census. Amounts are in Albanian lek.
At a glance
| Region (qark) | Kukës |
| Administrative units | 8: Bajram Curri, Fierza, Lekbibaj, Margegaj, Llugaj, Bujan, Bytyç, Tropojë |
| Area | 1,057.3 km², second largest in this series after Tiranë |
| Population, 2023 Census | 14,189 (about 13 residents per km²); 30.8% fewer than in 2011 |
| Culture budget, spent | 5.3 million lek in 2020, 4.8 million lek in 2025 |
| Budget plan, 2026 - 2028 | 5,755,000 lek a year |
| Cultural institutions | Historical Museum, Palace of Culture and town library, in Bajram Curri |
| Staff | 6 (2020 - 2024), 7 (2025 - 2026) |
| Activities | 1 in 2020, 17 in 2024, 16 in 2025 |
| Heritage works | Reconstruction of the Historical Museum, 123,388 euro (2022 - 2025) |
Summary
Tropojë, in the far north, has one of the largest territories in this series and a population that fell by 30.8% between the 2011 and 2023 censuses. Its culture budget ranged from 3.7 to 7.9 million lek a year, and the medium term budget plan keeps it at 5,755,000 lek a year until 2028, in line with the 2025 plan in the reply.
Three institutions in Bajram Curri, the Historical Museum, the Palace of Culture and the town library, have 6 to 7 staff. Activities grew from 1 in 2020 to 17 in 2024 and 16 in 2025. The Historical Museum's roof and interior were rebuilt between 2022 and 2025 for 123,388 euro.
Recurring festivals take culture to five of the eight administrative units, including the opening of the tourist season in Valbonë and in Nikaj-Mërtur. No public consultation on culture was held, and no funds were given to other organisations.
1. Governance and institutions
The Historical Museum, the Palace of Culture and the town library, all in Bajram Curri, promote the history and heritage of the Tropoja area. They had 6 staff from 2020 to 2024 and 7 in 2025 and 2026.
2. Funding
Planned and actual spending were 7,177,766 and 5,267,113 lek in 2020, 7,920,000 and 6,867,059 lek in 2021, 3,916,000 and 3,915,956 lek in 2022, 3,731,025 and 3,720,631 lek in 2023, 5,990,811 and 5,473,826 lek in 2024, and 5,755,139 and 4,810,605 lek in 2025. The plan was cut almost by half in 2022; since then more than 83% of it has been spent each year.
The medium term budget plan for 2026 - 2028 sets 5,755,000 lek a year for culture (programme 08220): 5,455,000 lek for wages and 300,000 lek for operating costs. Its figure for 2023, 3,721,000 lek, matches the reply. Sport is a separate programme, with 3,234,000 lek a year.
3. Cultural programme
The municipality supported 1 activity in 2020, 4 in 2023, 17 in 2024 and 16 in 2025. The reply gives no figures for 2021 and 2022 and no details of the events.
4. Heritage
The roof and interior of the Historical Museum were rebuilt between 2022 and 2025, at a total cost of 123,388 euro. The reply does not say how the work was funded. A plan to add older objects to the museum's collection is in progress.
5. Planning and public participation
An annual plan of activities is drafted each year, but there is no multi-year culture strategy. No plan on culture went to the Municipal Council and no public hearing on culture was held during the period 2020 - 2025.
6. Culture across the municipality
Five units host a yearly event: the opening of the tourist season in Valbonë (Margegaj) and in Nikaj-Mërtur (Lekbibaj), the mountain festival in Doberdol and Sylbicë and the walk to Shkëlzen Peak (Tropojë), the Chestnut Festival (Bajram Curri) and the Festa e Plisëbardhëve in Zogaj (Bytyç).
Conclusions
- The culture budget ranged from 3.7 to 7.9 million lek a year, and the budget plan keeps it at 5.76 million lek until 2028, in line with the reply.
- Three institutions in Bajram Curri work with 6 to 7 staff.
- Activities grew from 1 in 2020 to 17 in 2024 and 16 in 2025; figures for 2021 and 2022 are missing.
- The Historical Museum was rebuilt for 123,388 euro.
- Yearly festivals reach five of the eight units, but no public consultation on culture was held.
Recommendations
Complete the record
Reporting the activities of 2021 and 2022 and the main details of each event would give a full picture.
Consult residents
A public hearing on culture would involve residents in planning the yearly programme.
Plan the museum collection
A timeline and budget for enriching the museum collection would help turn the idea into a project.
About the data
Population figures come from the INSTAT 2023 Census. Budget, institutions, staff, activities and heritage works are as reported by the Municipality of Tropojë in its reply (2026); plan figures come from the medium term budget plan 2026 - 2028.
Every effort has been made to base this analysis on the data provided by the municipality, complemented with data from its Medium Term Budget Programmes (PBA) published online. For comments or questions, please contact artivista@arti-vista.org.
This article was prepared within the CulturAL project, with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the National Centre for Community Services and Artivista Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
