Things to do in Durrës from people who live next door: the Roman amphitheater, the Venetian Tower, beaches, seafood, sunsets and easy day trips.
Durrës was founded by Greek colonists in the seventh century BC, and it has been a busy port ever since: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman, all layered on top of each other. We live fifteen minutes away, so we get to know the city through our guests’ questions. These are the twelve things we send everyone to do.
01Walk through the Roman amphitheater
Start here. The amphitheater was built in the early second century AD and it’s the largest the Romans left in the Balkans, big enough for somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand people. Then it simply disappeared under the old town until it was found again in the 1960s, which is why houses still sit on top of it. Walk the vaulted corridors and look for the little early Christian chapel with its mosaics. In summer, go early, before the stone heats up.
02Explore the Byzantine walls and the Venetian Tower
Stretches of the Byzantine city walls still run through the center, and where they end, near the port, you’ll find the round Venetian Tower, added when Venice ran Durrës in the late Middle Ages. There’s a small café inside now. Come back in the evening too: it’s one of the nicest corners of town once the heat drops.
03See the treasures of the Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum, right on the seafront, is the biggest of its kind in Albania. Almost everything in it was dug up in and around Durrës: Greek and Roman statues, carved gravestones, jewelry, coins and amphorae pulled out of the sea. Give it an hour. It makes the rest of the city make sense.
04Spend a day on Durrës beach
Durrës beach runs south from the city for kilometers, with soft sand and shallow, warm water that families love. In summer it’s lined with sunbeds and beach bars. If you want more space, drive south toward Golem, or come in June or September, when it’s calmer and the sea is still warm.
05Join the evening stroll on the promenade
Around sunset the whole city seems to come out for the xhiro, the evening stroll. The promenade fills with families, couples and teenagers, everyone walking slowly, eating ice cream and stopping to chat. Join in. There’s no better way to feel what an Albanian summer evening is like.
06Climb up to King Zog’s Villa
On the hill above town sits the villa built for King Zog, Albania’s only king, before the Second World War. The house has been shut and crumbling for years, but the hill has one of the best views in Durrës: the port, the rooftops of the old town and the sea. Late afternoon is best, when the light goes gold.
07Eat fresh seafood and Albanian classics
Durrës is a port, so eat fish: grilled sea bream, octopus, mussels and shrimp, usually with nothing more than olive oil and lemon. Try the Albanian classics too, like fërgesë (peppers, tomatoes and curd cheese baked together), tavë kosi (lamb baked with yogurt) and byrek, the flaky pie locals grab for breakfast. Finish with a small, strong coffee or a glass of Albanian wine. We make our own, by the way.
08Visit the old town’s mosques and churches
Durrës has always been a crossroads, and you can see it in the center, where the Great Mosque near the main square and the Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Paul and Saint Astius, one of the city’s newer landmarks, are only a few minutes apart. Albanians are proud of how well their faiths get along, and rightly so.
09Watch the sunset from Cape Rodon
An hour north of the city, Cape Rodon (Kepi i Rodonit) sticks out into the Adriatic. Near the end are the ruins of a castle built by Skanderbeg, Albania’s national hero, and close by is the little church of Saint Anthony. It’s an easy walk, the water is clear, and the sunsets are some of the best on this coast.
10Take a day trip to Tirana
The capital is about forty minutes away by car, and buses run between the two cities all day. It’s a completely different day out: colorful buildings, Cold War bunkers turned into museums and more cafés than seems possible. Here’s our guide to things to do in Tirana.
11Discover Kruja and its castle
About an hour away, the hilltop town of Kruja was Skanderbeg’s stronghold against the Ottomans. Walk up through the old bazaar, full of carpets, copperware, felt hats and antiques, visit the Skanderbeg Museum inside the castle walls and, on a clear day, look all the way out to the sea. There are more ideas in our list of the best day trips from Durrës.
12Sleep by a lake, fifteen minutes from the city
After a hot day in the city, it’s nice to come back somewhere quiet. Wonderful Camping is on a small lake among pomegranate trees, olive groves and vines, about fifteen minutes from the center and the port. Pitch the tent, park the van or pop up the rooftop tent, grab a coffee overlooking the camp and watch the lights come on around the lake.
Want to see how it all fits into one day? Here’s a full day in Durrës from our campsite.
