A day trip to Krujë, the hill town of Albania’s national hero Skanderbeg: the castle, the Skanderbeg museum, the old bazaar, the Bektashi tekke and how long it takes from Durrës.
Krujë sits on a hillside north of Tirana, above the plain that runs down to the Adriatic. It is small, steep and easy to walk. Come for the castle, stay for the bazaar.
01Who was Skanderbeg?
Gjergj Kastrioti, known as Skanderbeg, is Albania’s national hero. In the fifteenth century he led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire, and Krujë was his stronghold. The castle held out against several large sieges, including those of 1450 and 1466 to 1467. Skanderbeg died in 1468, and the town fell a few years later.
His red flag with a black double-headed eagle is the flag of Albania today.
02The castle and the museum
The castle walls enclose a small old quarter, with stone houses and a clock tower. Inside is the Skanderbeg National Museum, which tells the story of his campaigns, with armour, maps and portraits. Nearby there is an ethnographic museum in a traditional stone house, and a Bektashi tekke, a place of worship of the Bektashi Sufi order.
From the walls the view runs across the plain towards the sea. On a clear day, you can see the coast.
03The old bazaar
A cobbled street climbs from the town to the castle, lined with small shops selling carpets, copper, embroidery, wood carvings and souvenirs. Prices are a conversation, so be friendly and take your time. A coffee halfway up is part of the experience. See how coffee works in Albania.
04Planning the day
From Wonderful Camping it is about an hour by car. Start in the morning, walk the bazaar up to the castle, have lunch in the town and come back for the afternoon light on the lake. Wear shoes with grip, because the stones are steep and polished. Check opening times for the museums before you go.
Want to combine it with Tirana, which is on the way? See things to do in Tirana, or more ideas in day trips from Durrës. Message us for your dates.
Photo credits: Arianit (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
