A short stroll south of central Tirana, the city’s Grand Park offers a convenient respite away from all the traffic and dust. At one time, thousands of the city’s inhabitants came here to play and picnic. Now it’s a place for people to stroll, fish, swim and have a sneaky snooze after lunch. Among the park’s small collection of monuments are the tombs of the Frashëri brothers, who helped catalyse Albania’s national awakening towards the end of the 19th century. Abdyl (1839-1892) was the leader of the Prizren League, Sami (1850-1904) a radical agitator for an independent Albanian republic and Naim (1846-1900) is generally recognised as being the first major Albanian-language poet. The large artificial lake in the park is a popular place during the summer, and is ringed by a handful of restaurants.