Travel Blog: Shkoder

For various reasons I had decided it was time to get moving and so I left Tirana, had an early breakfast and took one last walk through Tirana before catching a furgon (mini-bus) to Shkoder.  What’s that you ask? Read on my friends…read on..Shkoder (or Shkodra) is a city in northwest Albania situated on Lake Shkoder. The city was originally founded in the 4th century BC by the Illyrians and was the capital of the kingdom of King Gentius and Queen Teuta and was taken by the Romans in 168 BC and used as a main point of operations. It was then taken by pretty much everyone that came through the region (Venetians, Ottomans, etc). More recently it’s become an important cultural and industrial center.

The lake itself is the largest in the Balkan Penninsula it’s a naturally flooded depression and drains out to the Adriatic.

Overlooking part of the town is Castle Rozafa, said to get its name from a woman who gave her life so that the fortress would remain standing. She was, according to legend, buried in the walls with only two holes so that she could breast feed her children. The hotel I stayed at was Hotel Rozafa which takes its name from the castle. It was quite possibly one of the worst hotels I’ve ever stayed in…but then again for $15 USD I didn’t expect it to be fancy. The walls were painted that pink color of the strawberry part of Neopolitan ice cream. The daytime receptionist, Rajmonda, was quite helpful and forthcoming with information about the town, enough to get me going.  So off I went seeking the beach. I wandered through part of the town and spied the castle from afar. As it was closer than the lake I got sidetracked and, once again, did a sweaty hike up a hill in the high heat of the day. I need to learn to do this stuff earlier in the day or when it’s cool and cloudy. This one was only about 130 meters but was still a bit of a hike in 80-90 degree weather. When you get to the top you’ll be rewarded with a refreshing breeze and some amazing views. Perhaps some of the best in the area.

In the far corner of the castle, which is a complete set of wall and ruins inside, there’s a restaurant. If you’re like me and travel light (i.e. without lunch in you) it’s a place to recharge and refresh. You can sit in the courtyard, the restaurant or in the enclosed terrace just outside the walls. Too bad that it was facing away from lake itself . But still some splendid views and there was even Wi-Fi  but it was non-functional. The service wasn’t stupendous but all I had was a beer so it’s understandable.

The best way to present the castle to you is via the photos. Of course there’s a problem with Picasa still so I can’t upload them. It’s starting to get irritating so I think I’ll install a photo gallery app here on the site so I can get them uploaded.

The entry was 200 Lek ($2) and was a paltry sum for the exquisite views. After that I made my way back into the town and found an internet cafe so that I could get some work done. Heading back to the hotel I found out that there was a football match happening later in the evening and decided to attend. After a quick nap and a shower I headed over to the stadium.

The match turned out to be the second leg of the UEFA League qualifying round. The Albanians had won 2-1 at Sligo (Ireland) and just needed a draw or a win to move on. The stadium was well located in that there were scenic vistas all around. (see photos!) The match came to the 90th minute and it was all tied up 1-1 with 5 minutes of added time so I thought it was time to sneak out of the stadium as the locals were not at all pleased with how things were going. In the end I was safely in my hotel room when the match ended and with the draw they qualified for the next round…Well done!