In search of Albanian fortresses

The first thing that most visitors to Albania will notice is that little has been done to make the place look nice. While further up the Adriatic coast the Ottoman treasures in former Yugoslavia have been carefully and expensively restored, this has not happened in Albania. Apart from the dramatic rainbow coloured transformation of some of Tirana’s apartment blocks, you can see things pretty much as they have been for many years.

In a country so surprisingly rich with historical monuments this offers a unique opportunity to the visitor; to see ancient and medieval sites that have not yet enjoyed the hand of the restoration teams. We managed to visit three of these sites while in Albania, and each offered us a different insight into the history of this old and frequently troubled corner of Europe.

Kruja

View from the fortress at Kruja

View from the fortress at Kruja

Kruja is only an hour from Tirana and occupies a dramatic hillside setting, with far-reaching views to the west. It is the home of Skanderbeg, Albania’s 15th century hero (he’s up there with Mother Theresa in the all-time greats). The fortress now houses a modern museum that was built during the time of the communist regime and tells the stories of Skanderbeg and his personal contribtion to Albania’s war-torn past.

The museum at Kruja

The museum at Kruja

The fortress at Kruja

The fortress at Kruja

Berat

Probably Albania’s most popular attraction, the pleasant city Berat is made up of three distinct areas. The modern city area of Mangalem sits of the north bank of the river and is where the main shops and restaurants can be found. It is also where the people of Berat come out to promenade at dusk each day. On the other side of the river is Gorica, a near-perfect settlement of Ottoman houses.

At the Kala, Berat

At the Kala, Berat

But the main draw of Berat is Kala, the hill fortress that looked for all the world to us like an abandoned city, yet is still very much a living place. It was only later that I reflected and realised that we were the only idiots not hiding from the 40+ degree heat in the middle of the day.

At the Kala, Berat

At the Kala, Berat

Kala houses a beautiful old cathedral that is home of a highly impressive selection of icons (the young curator is only too keen to explain their significance to any visitors). It is also home to several other attractive churches, although many are now inaccesible due to their poor state of upkeep.

It’s hard to imagine Berat has changed much over the centuries, and it is that natural decay that gave it a special sense of peace, even in the scorching heat of the day.

View of Berat Kala

View of Berat Kala

Shkodra

This northern city is the first or last stop for most people passing in or out of Albania by land. From the fortress it is easy to follow the coastline well into Montenegro. Rozafa fortress is named after a woman who was walled into the construction as a sacrifice to the gods. Apparently she asked for two holes to be built in the walls so that she could continue to nurse her children while walled up.

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

We didn’t see any sight of the lady herself, but the ruins now make a popular attraction. In fact we guessed that many of the Sunday afternoon crowd who we found there were day-trippers from Montenegro (a view reinforced by the fact that we were staying in the largest hotel in the city and there were fewer than 15 guests staying there).

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

The fortress makes a good walk out of the city (around 40 minutes each way) or a modest taxi fare. It is a place to wander, enjoy the spectacular views and contemplate on the battles and changes that would have been seen from these walls in the last few centuries.

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

Rozafa Fortress, Shkodra

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