Visit Shkodra

While many visitors quickly breeze though the city, Shkodra’s turbulent 2400-year history has left plenty of interesting relics that make a stay in Albania’s cultural capital worthwhile. Hundreds of years of no-nonsense religious and ethnic tolerance resulted in booming trade, witnessed by Shkodra’s grand merchants’ homes, and dozens of mosques and Catholic and Orthodox churches standing in close proximity to each other. With travel to Albania now easier than ever before, and the number of visitors to Shkodra increasing, facilities for travellers are improving rapidly, with good hotels and several excellent restaurants now established. ​ The Rozafa Castle was probably founded by Illyrians. Later it was rebuilt several times by Romans, Venetians and Ottomans. The castle ruins consist of 3 courtyards and a few buildings. The oldest still standing structure on the castle grounds is the St. Stephens Church, which dates back to 1319. One of the main reasons to visit the castle is its location on a 130 m high hilltop, which offers panoramic views of Shkoder, the Buna and Drini rivers as well as the southern end of Lake Shkodra. In 2010 admission to the castle was 200 Leke (less than 2 Euro). Directions The Rozafa Castle is located on a small hill about 2,5 km southwest of Shkoders city centre. As we were a bit short on time, we took a taxi to the castle (500 Leke), but walked back to town. The walk led along a new promenade at the river Buna and was therefore quite pleasant. Another option to get to the castle is the public bus which stops somewhere at the main road below the castle. From there you still have to climb the hill to the entrance of the castle. Parruces Mosque Beside the dominating Ebu Bekr Mosque, there is a second large mosque in the city centre of Shkoder. Its name is Parruce Mosque (Xhamia Parruces) and it was the very first sight which we spotted when we got off our bus coming from Ulcinj in Montenegro. The Parruces Mosque is dedicated to the family of Haxhi Sait Jakup Fishta and it was completed in 2006. Directions: The Parruces Mosque is situated near the north western end of the square Sheshi Parruce, just opposite to the Lulishtja e Parruces Park. Migjeni Theatre After the theatre in Tirana, the Migjeni Theatre is considered the second most important theatre in Albania. First performances took place in 1879 and during the communist years many plays of Bertolt Brecht were shown here. Up to 1919 women were not allowed to perform on stage, which meant that men had to play the female characters. Directions: The Migjeni Theatre stands at the square Sheshi Demokracia (former: Sheshi 5 Heronjte), right in the heart of Shkoders city centre. The large Ebu Bekr Mosque which is the focal point of the local Muslim community, dominates Shkoders city centre.Also known as Al-Zamil Mosque, it was built in 1995 with funds from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. It stands on the site of an even earlier mosque. The Ebu Bekr Mosque has been extensively renovated in 2008. Directions: The Ebu Bekr Mosque is surrounded by a large garden. It stands somewhere between the Rozafa Hotel and the Colosseo Hotel; right in the heart of Shkoder.