Krujë

The castle of Kruje was built in the 5th–6th centuries. It is a typical Albanian castle, covering an area of 2.25 hectares, with residential buildings inside, as is common in Albanian fortifications. However, Kruje also has an older connection: a few kilometers south of it lies an extraordinary site called Zgërdhesh, the remains of an ancient and mysterious city with walls made of giant Cyclopean stones. Like Kruje, the site is strategically located—at the foot of the mountains overlooking the main Albanian plain that stretches from Tirana to Lazhe, and not far from the important port city of Durres.

According to Albanian Illyrian historiography, these are the remains of Albanopolis, a city mentioned by the Roman elder Philinus as the capital of the Illyrian Albani tribe. The Illyrians established kingdoms and fortified cities during the first millennium BC, such as Lazhe, Durres, Berat, and Shkodra—each tribe having its own capital. In the center of Albania was the Albi tribe, whose capital stood very close to what would later become the medieval capital of Albania—Kruje.

Today’s Albanians are considered the continuation of the Illyrians, having adopted the name of this tribe. There is even geographical continuity between the capital of the ancient Albi kingdom and the capital of medieval Albania. Kruje is first mentioned as a Christian center in the 9th century. It later became the center of the feudal Topia family and the Principality of Arberia. Skanderbeg captured Kruje in the mid-15th century and made it the center of his struggle against the Ottomans. The city withstood dozens of attacks and was considered unconquerable. From his residence in Kruje, Skanderbeg controlled a network of fortresses throughout the country and led an alliance of fearless tribal warriors. After his death, the city was eventually conquered and became an Ottoman administrative center.

Inside the castle today is a museum dedicated to Skanderbeg and the epic heroic struggle of the Albanian people. The museum was designed by the daughter of Enver Hoxha and also tells the story of Albania’s ancient history and the Illyrian people. On the way to the castle, there is a restored Ottoman bazaar—the only one of its kind in Albania—with a selection of cafés offering panoramic views, as well as an ethnographic museum, a Bektashi türbe (tomb), and more.