Visit Shkodra & Kruja from Tirana

Built during Antiquity, enduring the Roman and Ottoman empires, and remaining intact up to the present day, Rozafa Castle has witnessed the dramatic changes of tide over the course Albania’s fascinating history. Needless to say then that this archaeological area is incredibly rich in historical tales.

This multifaceted city has had a traditionally rich artistic life and an enormous contribution to Albanian culture. Shkodra is the cradle of the most important Albanian poets, like Migjeni, painters like Kol Idromeno and Edi Hila, and photographers, the Marubi Family. Shkodra houses the haunting Marubi National Photography Museum, which displays the first photo taken in Albania, and the Venice Art Mask Factory, where a local master produces the same intricate masks used in the Venice carnivals and Las Vegas shows. A city of myths and legends, the foundations of the famous Castle of Shkodra are said to be held by the body of Rozafa, the beautiful young mother who sacrificed herself for it. You will find that this naturally beautiful city has an abundance of mirrors in the Adriatic Sea, the Lake of Shkodra and the Buna River. Otherwise called the “city of bicycles,” the city’s views are best admired while pedaling in the open air!

Krujë Castle has proudly stood on top of a rocky cliff, high above its city, for the last fifteen centuries. It has witnessed the long turbulent history of this place, which was once the centre of Arbëria (Albania’s ancient name). At a time when the Ottoman Empire ruled over a large swathe of Europe, including Constantinople and the Balkans, this castle remained undefeated for thirty-five years, thanks to Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, the legendary Albanian hero who defended its walls until his death.

Built in the early 1980s, crowning the castle walls, this recognisable museum structure has become an icon of this city’s skyline. Inside, the exhibits reveal insights into Skanderbeg’s life, his historical victories and achievements, as well as copies of Skanderbeg’s weapons: his recognisable helmet crowned with a goat’s head, and his sword.

Built during the mid-18th century, in 1764, by Ismail Pashë Toptani, this Ottoman house is considered one of the most unique museums in Albania. It includes a total of 15 rooms which tell of work and family life in the town of Kruja. A white, three-story construction with a tower placed in the middle, this house is surrounded by wood-carved windows of all sizes, letting the breeze flow freely in an out, and creating a pleasant sense of open space. Outside, you’ll notice traces of former springs surrounding the castle, from which the name of the city derives (the word for “springs” in Albanian is kroje), which also reflect the city’s former position as an agricultural centre prior to the rise of commerce and artisanal activities.