Shkodra is broadly the most known city of Albania. Also, it’s one of the oldest cities in Europe. Shkodra will quickly enchant you with its cultural heritage. Many poets, artists, musicians, and photographers were born there, and it serves as the gateway to the Albanian Alps.
What to visit on your first day in Shkodër?
– Go to Rozafa Castle
The Rozafa Castle is a special place and a must-see attraction in Shkodër. There is a legend it of a woman that had to be sacrificed in order to build it.
There was an Illyrian stronghold here 2,500 years ago and elements of it were adapted for later fortresses. The Romans also left their mark, but most of the ruins are from Venetian times when the castle was sacked after a siege by the Ottomans in 1478. The castle saw action right up to 1912 when it was defended by the Ottomans against Montenegrin and Serbian forces.
– Visit the Historical Museum
This astonishing museum is located on a steep hill overlooking the city. The building is a former Venetian merchant’s house, even including authentic stone fortifications. The exhibits of the museum are compact and provide detail about ancient activity in the region, the Byzantine era, and Ottoman times, right up to the oppressive regime under Enver Hoxha. In the garden, you will find an original Venetian stone-well and the remnants of a Roman tomb.
– Delight yourself in the open-nature of Shkodra Lake
This expansive lake, the largest in the Balkans, forms a natural boundary between Albania and Montenegro. You could rent a bike in Shkodar to get out there, or catch a bus to the western edge of the city and complete the remaining five kilometers on foot. Not far from the border with Montenegro is the Lake Shkodra Resort, which is a campsite with chalets and camping grounds offering tent rental right on the shore where the lake is set off by the Albanian Peaks in the distant background. You can hire kayaks here or set off on a hiking trip around the beautiful perimeter of the lake.
– Next day (3) start from visiting: Marubi National Museum of Photography
The National Museum of Photography ‘Marubi’ was established as an absolute need to identify and promote the photographic archive created by the Marubi Dynasty and other city of Shkodra photographers, a cultural heritage unique in its kind.
– Ride to Mes Bridge
Spanning the Kiri River five kilometers northeast of Shkoder, is this magnificent Ottoman bridge. For starters, the environment is almost idyllic, framed by the hills of the Maranai Nature Park, and with evergreen vegetation on the banks of a shallow river that draws swimmers in summer. The river has been crossed at this spot for as long as humans have been here, and was on the trade route between Shkodra and Pristina in Kosovo.
– Visit the amazing nature of Shurdhah Island
In the summer, you can catch a boat out to Shurdhah Island, almost 400 metres in length and covered with dense vegetation. Climb onto shore for a small adventure, discovering the last remaining fragments of Sarda, an ancient city. This was an Illyrian settlement, and later a Roman citadel. In medieval times, it was a city famous for its 365 altars and being the seat of Bishops of Sarda and Sapa.