[2025 Shkodra Attraction] Travel Guide for Rozafa Castle (Updated Jun)

this is one of the most famous attractions in Shkoder, Albania. this city is not too big, and this castle offers panoramic view of the city and it’s beautiful surrounding. the view is stunning and fascinating. it provides the view of Shkoder lake, the south of the city and the city itself. the castle itself is pretty big, it takes some time to visit and walk around. there are few things you need to remember if you’re travelling with kids or toddlers. there is no safety railings, so be careful and pay attention to your kids. the entrance fee is not too much, you can get there by car or just walk, the view from the top is def worth spending these 3 dollars! #passionpassport #gooutside #mountainview #bucketlistreboot

Ever dreamed of exploring a country where history, nature, and culture collide — without the tourist crowds? Albania surprised me in the best possible way, and here is the 7-day itinerary that helped me see the absolute best of it. Bookmark this for your next Balkan adventure! 📍 Day 1: Tirana – The Quirky Capital Start in Tirana, Albania’s vibrant heart. 🛬 Land at Tirana International Airport (TIA). ✨ Must-sees: BunkArt 2 for Cold War vibes Skanderbeg Square for local life New Bazaar for souvenirs & local food 🍴 Food Tip: Try Tavë Kosi, Albania’s signature lamb dish. 💡 Pro Tip: Tirana’s cafes rival those of Paris — do not skip a coffee break! 📍 Day 2: Shkoder – Northern Gateway Just 1.5h drive from Tirana, Shkoder is artistic, chill, and close to nature. 🎨 Explore the Marubi Photography Museum 🏰 Climb to Rozafa Castle at sunset 🚲 Rent a bike and cycle around Lake Shkoder 🏡 I stayed in a local guesthouse — warm hosts and homemade breakfast! 📍 Day 3: Kruje – Medieval Charm A short detour to Kruje is worth it for history lovers. 🛍 Wander through the Ottoman-style bazaar 🏰 Visit the Skanderbeg Museum & Castle 📸 Incredible views of the valley below 💡 Kruje is a great spot for handcrafted souvenirs like traditional rugs and copperware. 📍 Day 4: Berat – City of a Thousand Windows Drive south to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 🏘️ Explore the white Ottoman houses stacked on the hillside 🏰 Visit Berat Castle (locals still live inside!) 🍷 Wine tasting at a local winery like Cobo Winery 💤 Tip: Sleep inside the old Mangalem Quarter for an unforgettable night. 📍 Day 5: Gjirokaster – Stone City & Legends Another UNESCO gem! 🏠 Visit Enver Hoxha’s House and Skenduli House for traditional interiors 🎭 The castle houses a weapons museum & even a Cold War-era prison 🌄 The architecture is stunning — bring walking shoes! 📍 Day 6: Blue Eye & Sarandë – Nature & Coastline Start your day with a stop at the Blue Eye Spring (Syri i Kaltër) — surreal turquoise water you have to see to believe. Then head to Sarandë, Albania’s southern beach town. 🏖️ Walk the promenade, enjoy fresh seafood, and catch the sunset! 📸 Best light for photos at the Blue Eye? Before 11 AM! 📍 Day 7: Ksamil – The Albanian Maldives Finish with a bang in Ksamil, 20 minutes from Sarandë. 🏝️ Crystal-clear beaches with white sand and islands you can swim to! 🚤 Rent a kayak or boat for the best views 🌅 Have a drink with a sunset view over the Ionian Sea 💡 Visit in shoulder season (May or September) for fewer crowds and warm waters. ✅ What I Wish I Knew Before Going: Card payment is not common — carry cash (LEK) Roads can be narrow and winding — drive carefully or hire a driver Albanian hospitality is REAL — you’ll often be treated like family

Shkodër is one of Albania’s oldest and most culturally rich cities, nestled between the shores of Lake Shkodër and the dramatic peaks of the Albanian Alps. With a laid-back atmosphere and a strong artistic spirit, the city invites you to explore its colorful streets, cafés, and historic sites. Visit the imposing Rozafa Castle for panoramic views and fascinating legends, stroll through the lively pedestrian boulevard, or take a boat ride on the lake at sunset. Shkodër is also the perfect base for adventures into the mountains, including the breathtaking Valbona to Theth hike. A city where tradition and creativity meet, unmissable on any northern Albania itinerary. #shkodër

Xhinse- Jeanse 50€

Albania 🇦🇱Rozafa Castle🏰 covers an area of ​​9 hectares, and the city wall stretches for 880 meters. The castle🏰 was built in the Illyrian period. The Illyria was one of the most primitive tribes in Albania at that time. The city of Shkoder was built in the ancient Illyrian Kingdom in the 4th century BC. When facing the Roman invasion, Queen Teuta of Illyria used this castle 🏰 to fight against the Roman invasion, so this castle 🏰 is a very important one in history. ⭕️Castle🏰Introduction ✅Historical Origin: Rozafa Castle🏰 is located southwest of Shkoder, a northwestern city in Albania🇦🇱. It was built in the 4th century BC or early 3rd century BC. It was originally a fortification of the ancient Illyrians. It was once ruled by ancient Rome, the Serbian Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, etc., and witnessed many historical events. ✅Architectural features: The castle covers an area of ​​about 9 acres, has three-story courtyards, and a one-kilometer-long wall. It is ingeniously designed and has strong defensive capabilities. There are three towers on the city wall. Although only the foundations are left, their scale can still be seen. The stone walls of the castle are tall and magnificent. Although some of them are dilapidated, they still show the vicissitudes of history. ✅Legend: It is said that when the three brothers were building the castle, they worked hard but the walls collapsed every night. The wise man told them that they needed to offer a living person as a sacrifice. Eventually, the third brother's wife, Rozafa, was buried inside the city wall. She asked to expose the right side of her body so that she could watch the baby, breastfeed, hold the baby and rock the crib. After the castle was built, it was named after her. ⭕️Game guide ✅Transportation Guide: If you live in the center of Shkoder, you can take a bus to the castle🏰; you can also choose to rent a car or take a taxi, which is convenient and fast. ✅Opening hours: usually 9:00-19:00, please check and confirm in advance. ✅Ticket information: Price 400 Lek (about 4 Euros). The Third Courtyard Museum is open irregularly, and the ticket price is 200 Lek (about 2 Euros) ✅ Tour route: After entering the castle🏰, you can first visit the narrow courtyard on the first floor to experience its defensive function; then go to the second courtyard to visit the ruins of the mosque and the well built in the 15th century; finally reach the third courtyard to visit the Venetian-style museum. As soon as you enter the museum, you can see the Rozafa relief that tells the legend of the construction of the castle🏰. At the same time, you can also explore the underground tunnel in the third courtyard. The castle is located at the junction of the Buna and Drin rivers. From the highest point of the castle, you can see Lake Sködar. ⭕️Nearby food: Shkoder has a variety of local food, such as Albanian 🇦🇱 barbecue, meatballs, special bread, etc., which can be tasted before and after the tour. ✅There is the only cafe next to the Third Courtyard Museum at the highest point of the castle, which provides soft drinks, coffee and ice cream. ⭕️Accommodation recommendation: You can choose to stay in the center of Shkodër. There are many hotels and B&Bs to choose from, with prices ranging from tens of euros to hundreds of euros. If you want to be closer to the castle, there are some nearby accommodation options, which are about a 20-minute walk away. ⚠️Notes: ✅There is a canteen and toilet at the bus stop at the foot of the mountain. The toilet costs 0.5 euros. There is only one toilet in the castle on the top of the mountain. It is in the cafe. If you don't consume, you will be charged 1 euro separately. ✅The road up the mountain is narrow, and the bus cannot reach the ticket office halfway up the mountain. You need to walk 🚶 or take a car 🚗 to get there. It takes 10 minutes to walk and 2-3 minutes to take a car ✅The castle is paved with rocks and the roads are difficult to walk on, especially on rainy days when the rocks are slippery, so you need to pay special attention to safety ✅The mountaintop castle🏰 has no safety protection such as fences. Pay special attention to safety when climbing up to see the distance and be careful not to fall. ⭕️The castle🏰 is ancient and time-honored, so it is recommended to wear bright colors to stand out in photos. An indispensable part of traveling to Albania 🇦🇱 is visiting castles 🏰. Rozafa Castle 🏰 is an outstanding example of Albania’s 🇦🇱 castle 🏰 history. Standing on the hilltop where the two rivers meet, you can immediately understand the wisdom of the ancient Illyrians in choosing the site.

Shkoder Rozafa Castle is a common castle in Albania and even in the Balkans. Its historical evolution and story are basically the "historical script" of "Rome, Greece, Byzantium, and Ottoman" fighting, killing, belief, and forced belief! The architectural structure of the castle is basically high ground, thick city, palace and military camp! Churches and prisons that are exactly the same and necessary! The castle is located at the highest point of the mountains, and the roads leading to the castle are paved with smooth stones. Only the outline of the city wall remained, and only the frame of the palace building remained, with broken walls and overgrown weeds everywhere. Even so, when you hike inside the castle, you can experience the beauty of its ruins, be shocked by its huge scale and layout, and imagine its grandeur and majesty in its heyday. Standing on the castle wall platform, you can have a bird's eye view of the entire Shkoder city and Lake Shkoder, the largest lake in the Balkans. The city buildings with red roofs and white walls, the winding rivers, the straight roads that run through the city, the bridges across the rivers, and the square fields where yellow and green meet can all be seen from a 360-degree angle. I think when the ancient kings built these castles, in addition to considering the terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, they must have also enjoyed the imperial majesty of looking down on their citizens from a high vantage point.

🇦🇱 Located in Shkoder, the second largest city in Albania, Rozafa Castle is an important military fortress guarding Shkoder. Although it is now in ruins, it records the vicissitudes of history and bears witness to the rise and fall of history. It is listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site for its unique historical and cultural value.‌ ⛳ Rozafa Castle was built on a 130-meter-high mountain and was first built by the ancient Illyrians in the 4th century BC. It was occupied by ancient Rome in 168 BC, and later ruled by the Serbian Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, Bulgaria, the Republic of Venice, and others. In 1479, it fell into the hands of the Ottoman Empire, and in modern history, it has been through many ups and downs. ✔️ Castle features: 1⃣️ The road to the castle is steep and paved with stones, which have been polished very smooth by the traffic of people and horses over the years, so be careful when walking; 2️⃣ There are two gates to the castle, the first gate has a small courtyard, and then through a 10-meter-thick passageway, you officially enter the interior of the castle; 3⃣️ The walls of the castle are only left with outlines, and the remains of buildings such as palaces and churches are only left with frames, with ruins and weeds, giving a sense of decadent beauty; 4⃣️ The castle is surrounded by water on three sides, surrounded by the Buna River, Drin River, Kir River, and Lake Shkoder, and from the castle platform, you can see the whole city of Shkoder, which is very impressive; 5⃣️ When the blue Lake Shkoder comes into view, the sparkling lake water reflects the red-roofed and white-walled buildings, churches, and bridges, and the layers of the picture stretch into the distance, which is very fairy-tale and beautiful; 6⃣️ If you arrive at the attraction by car, you will need to change to a minibus to go up the mountain. 📍 Address: On a mountain southwest of Shkoder, Albania, about 3 km from the city center; ⏰ Opening hours: 9:00–19:00 💰 Ticket: 200 Lek (equivalent to RMB 15.59) 🚗 Transportation: You can take a bus from Shkoder to the castle (about every 40 minutes).

Shkodër is located in the northwest of 🇦🇱 and is one of the most historic cities. In the 4th century BC, it was the capital of the original kingdom of the Illyrian tribe Ardians. In the 19th century, the Shkodërs participated in the war to defend the Albanian territory. As the cultural and economic center of northern 🇦🇱, Shkoder's public library has a collection of more than 250,000 books. The city has cultural centers, artists and writers' associations, art galleries and other facilities. Shkoder is also the center of Catholic and Islamic studies. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Climb to the top of the castle and overlook the Lake Skadar National Park on the border between Albania and Montenegro. It is like a sapphire inlaid in the city. The prosperity of the city and the gentleness of the lake are intertwined, making it beautiful and picturesque. Second stop: Enjoy lunch at the gentle Skadar Lake. The area is often called "Shiroke". Fish lovers can try the local specialty Karp - dishes cooked in casserole. The two fish dishes recommended by the driver are tender and tasty. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :