We did a day trip from Tirana to Kruja, Albania to visit the Castle there. It is not too far from the capital only 20 miles though with the traffic it took us over an hour. We got to see the outskirts of the city and the many markets that lined the road selling mostly produce and clothes…
And of course a cafe every few feet…
Our driver who is also our guide for the day told us this was the poorer area of the city.
A wall mural we saw on the way.
It wasn’t long when we left the city buildings behind and drove into the countryside. It is still very green here and we started to see the mountains…
Kruja is a small, historic mountain top town with the main features being a 500 year old bazaar and a 15th century castle. However one of the more recent achievements was the visit of George W Bush in June, 2007 where he promoted Albania’s bid to become a member of NATO and a push for Kosovo independence. They erected a monument in the centre of town and named many businesses after him. The Albanians have a lot of respect for the Americans…
As we walked up to the castle we passed through the bazaar, since we were there early it was just opening and not crowded…
Cobblestone streets and lots of traditional crafts…
And not so traditional…these hoodies display the Albanian flag which is red with a black two sided eagle. The red background symbolizes bravery, strength, valor and the blood shed for freedom while the black double-headed eagle symbolizes the sovereign state of Albania, national strength and heritage.
As you walk through the bazaar you climb up the hill to reach the castle you can see it in the distance…
The castle was built in the 5t or 6th century and became the headquarters of the famous national hero Skanderberg where he resided for 25 years…
One of the only remains that still stands is the watch tower…
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The mountain provides great views of the surrounding area…
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Albania has many beautiful views!
Inside the castle we learn all about Skanderberg whose statue we saw in Skanderberg Square in Tirana.
From all accounts this is what he looked like…
He was known has a very smart warrior who gathered other leaders around him not by force but by example of his great leadership. He fought many battles with the Ottomans and kept them away for over 25 years. He converted from Islam to Christianity and he was the one who raised the Albanian two headed eagle flag. We learned a lot of history here and again saw the immense pride Albanians of their country.
Here is picture of us and our guide…
We are over 7000 kms from Toronto!
Always great to learn the history of the country we are visiting. Now on to Montenegro!
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