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SHKODRA GUIDE

Close to the border with Montenegro, Shkodra in Albania is the point of entry for the sublime natural landscapes in almost every direction from the city. East is Drin River that flows through canyons, right to the west is the Adriatic Sea and its sandy beaches, and northeast are the Albanian Alps where the country’s tallest peaks can be conquered.

ROZAFA FORTRESS

Every civilisation in Shkodra’s history has used this strategic spot on a craggy hill next to the confluence of the Drin and Bojana Rivers. There was an Illyrian stronghold here 2,500 years ago and elements of it were adapted for later fortresses. The Romans also left their mark, but most of the ruins are from Venetian times when the castle was sacked after a siege by the Ottomans in 1478. The castle saw action right up to 1912 when it was defended by the Ottomans against Montenegrin and Serbian forces.

LAKE SHKODRA

This expansive lake, the largest in the Balkans, forms a natural boundary between Albania and Montenegro. You could rent a bike in Shkodar to get out there, or catch a bus to the western edge of the city and complete the remaining five kilometres on foot. Not far from the border with Montenegro is the Lake Shkodra Resort, which a campsite with chalets and camping grounds offering tent rental right on the shore where the lake is set off by the Albanian Peaks in the distant background.

MES BRIDGE

Spanning the Khir River five kilometres northeast of Shkoder is this magnificent Ottoman bridge. For starters the environment is almost idyllic, framed by the hills of the Maranai Nature Park, and with evergreen vegetation on the banks of a shallow river that draws swimmers in summer. The Mes Bridge is Ottoman Albania’s largest river crossing, 100 metres-long and dating back to 1770.