Explore Kruja & Durres Daytrip

Höjdpunkter

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1. Ethnographic Museum with almost all items being original from the end of the 19th century. Built during the mid-18th century, in 1764, by Ismail Pashë Toptani, this Ottoman house is considered one of the most unique museums in Albania. It includes a total of 15 rooms which tell of work and family life in the town of Kruja. A white, three-story construction with a tower placed in the middle, this house is surrounded by wood-carved windows of all sizes, letting the breeze flow freely in an out, and creating a pleasant sense of open space. Outside, you’ll notice traces of former springs surrounding the castle, from which the name of the city derives (the word for “springs” in Albanian is kroje), which also reflect the city’s former position as an agricultural centre prior to the rise of commerce and artisanal activities.

   1 timEntré ingår

2. The ruins of the Kruja Castle can be seen at the base of Kruja’s mountain. The castle holds within it the National Museum of “Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu,” known simply as the Skanderbeg Museum – dedicated to the most celebrated of all Albanian heroes. Skanderbeg’s ability to reunite Albanian families that had been divided for six centuries, made him the important national figure that he is today. It was Skanderbeg’s return to Kruja, following his childhood in Turkey, which eternally bonded the great man’s name to the city, and the city’s to his. He was the leader of the country during one of its most prosperous periods, and created an army that successfully fended off the Ottomans’ advances for 25 years, until his death in 1468.

   1 timEntré ingår

3. We make our way through Kruja’s famous Bazaar full of traditional handicrafts and souvenirs. Kruja is a centre of Albanian resistance against the Ottomans under our National Hero Scanderbeg. He kept the Ottoman armies from crossing into Western Europe for 25 years, thus earning the title “Athleta Christi” awarded by the pope of the time.

   20 min

4. The Amphitheater of Durrës remains one of the most majestic of the ancient world and one of ten most beautiful Roman amphitheaters. Widely recognized among enthusiasts of Antiquity, it is a pearl of the Balkans that is slowly making its way out of the shell. Discovered relatively recently, in 1966, its unearthing occurred in a slightly comical way by Vangjel Toçi. Legend has it that Vangjel, an archaeologist and resident of Durrës, happened upon a fig tree which had fallen a few meters below ground level. Curious and inquisitive, he insisted that the area undergo excavations. Rightly so, for underneath was lying the long sought-after Amphitheater.

   40 minEntré ingår

5. It is an Optional Visit that our tour representative will recommend you. This ultra-modern, well lit and labelled museum just back from the seafront has a breathtaking collection of historical artefacts. Highlights include the fine-boned sculptures and statues, delicate gold jewellery, amphoras recovered from the seafloor and still covered in barnacles and beautiful painted vases and pots that are so perfectly preserved they look as if they were painted just yesterday.

   30 min

Avbokning

Fri avbokning till 24 timmar innan upplevelsen börjar, med full återbetalning.

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How it compares in Tirana

• Its from-price is 42% above the median of the 271 dagsturer we list in Tirana.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Tirana

Tirana är Albaniens färgstarka, livliga huvudstad, med målade hus, osmanska och italienska landmärken, kalla krigets bunkrar och caféer överallt.

Skanderbegtorget, ett väldigt öppet torg, är stadens hjärta, flankerat av Et'hem Bey-moskén med sina känsliga fresker, klocktornet och Nationella historiska museet med sin gigantiska socialistiska mosaik. I närheten är Tiranas pyramid en slående betongrelik från de kommunistiska decennierna.

Top-ranked sights in Tirana: Skanderbeg Square (Sheshi Skënderbej), Pyramid of Tirana (Enver Hoxha Pyramid), Et'hem Bey Mosque (Xhamia e Et'hem Beut).

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