– What to do –

The city centre of Shkoder

Immediately as you enter Shkoder you feel the city is different from other towns in Albania. The buildings look nicer, the houses more extravagant, the people smile more than down in the South and some of the better restaurants even list their prices in Euro instead of the local currency the Lek. Shkoder feels ‘lighter’ and more metropolitan than other parts of Albania. The people certainly feel this way. This is surprising considering it has only about 80.000 inhabitants.

Pedestrian Only Area

This metropolitan feel combined with the charming old Ottoman architecture make Shkoder the perfect place to stroll around for an hour or two exploring the centre without a set plan. A large part of the city centre is pedestrian only and filled with restaurants and little bars. Albanian’s like nothing more than sit on a terrace and sip coffee and considering an espresso costs only about EUR 0.80 here, I advise to do the same. Start at the big roundabound next to the Ebu Beker Mosque and walk into Rruga Kole Idromeno (look out for the Hotel Colosseo and go in that direction). Turn right on the quiter Rruga G’Juhadol and follow it until you hit the big road. Turn right and right again until your back at the roundabound but this time turn left onto Rruga 28 Nentori.

Musea and sights in the city centre

There are a couple of touristic attractions in the city centre but all of them are not really worth the effort. There is an Ethnograpic Museum which is smaller and less interesting than the one in Tirana. Marubi Photography Museum, that gives local photographers a stage but at 700 Lek very over priced. I also feel contemporary photography is not the kind of attraction you want to go visit when in Albania. I certainly don’t. It is better to leave these ‘sights’ for what they are and focus on a more interesting historical feature of Shkoder: Rozafa Castle.

Rozafa Castle

Costs: 200LEK, open until 7 PM

Rozafa Castle lies approximately 3 kilometers to the South West of town on a 130 meter high hill. The castle is ancient. First it belonged to the Illyrians, then the Romans, later the Ottomans and as recently as 1912 it was used as a fort in armed combat with Montenegro. The castle itself is very much a ruin and compared to castles in France or Italy not much special. What makes it special is the fact that it is hardly regulated. This means you can climb onto the walls, walk on the ruins and make pictures in every nook and cranny. At your own risk ofcourse, I bumped by toe when climbing a particularly steep staircase but you can end up far worse if you do something stupendous like trying to make a selfie on the outer walls. Seriously I saw someone do it, don’t.

Another thing that makes Rozafa Castle the most interesting historical feature of Shkoder Albania are the views. The view over the city with a mountain range as a backdrop is marvelous. On the one side you see the lake Skadar, on the other farmlands and a meandering river with reeds and side streams filled with greenery. Seriously good views.

How to get to the castle

Getting to the castle is easy! You can take the public bus which takes you there in 10 minutes for only 30 LEK. The bus leaves opposite of the Grand Hotel Europa, and then about 100 meters further along the road. All buses that leave her stop at the castle so you can’t take the wrong one. Get off when you see the castle.

Pro-tip: At the bus stop closest to the castle there is a shortcut up the hill. Immediately opposite of the bus stop you’ll see a small alley. Its a dodgy little street but it saves you about 10 minutes of walking. When you exit the alley, go right and walk up the small dirt path that leads up the hill between tall grass and bushes. This second shortcut cuts the walking ever shorter. Download the app Maps.me for a great mobile offline map of Albania. The map has the shortcut as a tiny striped route.

Skadar Lake

About 1/3rd of the Skadar Lake lies in Albania, the other 2/3rd in Montenegro. Where the Montenegrin side is a bird sanctuary and National Park the Albanian side is mainly good for.. relaxing and swimming! Take the same bus as to Rozafa Castle but head to Shiroke Zogaj. Ask some locals for good swimming spots, which tend to be a bit further away from the road.

Trekking in the Albanian Alps

While it is certainly worthwhile to spend an extra day before or after trekking the Accursed Mountains, Shkoder does not justify an elongated stay. So even though this article is about Shkoder Albania itself, I feel obliged to also mention its greatest quality: its function as a gateway to the Albanian Alps. 

From Shkoder its about a 3 hours drive to Theth which is the starting point of the 120 mile ‘Peaks of the Balkans’ hike. The first part, Theth to Valbona is a very popular day hike, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it as it is awesome. Don’t drive yourself unless you have a 4WD, the last hour is seriously dodgy and bumpy. If you bring your economy class rental you are almost certain to mess it up, if not worse.

If you are set on doing the Theth – Valbona hike its better to do it the other way around, starting in Valbona. I will dedicate a whole article to this hike in a couple of weeks and will put a link in this article to that read. I will explain there why and how. From Shkoder to Valbona will set you back EUR 15 and includes a 2 hour ferry ride over the Koman lake which is seriously beautiful. If your accomodation does not offer the full transport, go to the Mi Casa Es Tu Casa Hostel, which has daily rides. Doing it independent will not save you any costs. Instead of paying EUR 15 for the whole transport you’ll pay  EUR 5 for bus 1, EUR 5 for the ferry and EUR 5 for the last bus.

– Eating and sleeping recommendations –

Eating

The best food I tasted in Shkoder was in Restaurant San Francisco. The place looks up-class and the food and service is up to it but the prices are only slightly above average making it very good value for money. It serves both local cuisine as well as Italian and has a charming little outdoor terrace on the first floor overlooking the pedestrian street Rruga Kole Idromeno. We paid 1440 LEK for two plates of pasta and a carafe of red wine.

Another good spot in Shkoder Albania is Peja Restaurant, famous for its great and affordable local cuisine. A lot of backpackers seem to be familiar with this place and come back here every evening. Sit outside on the wide curb terrace and order a house special. We paid 1080 LEK for two local dishes a large draft beer and a coke.

Sleeping

Mi Casa Es Su Casa Hostel

Dorm: EUR 8/ Private: EUR 25

Mi Casa Es Su Casa Hostel is a great social hangout with a perfect location and impeccable staff. The hostel works hard to keep its environmental impact to a minimum and even if its fully booked will try to squeeze in people that show up without a reservation by allowing them to set up a tent in the backyard. The best aspect about Mi Casa Es Su Casa is its impressive amount of information. Anything that can be done in and around Shkoder, the staff know about it and can help you do it.

The Wanderers Hostel

Dorm: EUR 8/ Private: EUR 25

If possible the location of The Wanderers Hostel is even more perfect. If you are looking for the best social vibes in town, go here. The hostel is hosted in an authentic old building and the staff will make sure you not only can easily do all the things you want to but also meet new friends to do it with.

Hotel Tradita

Private: EUR 60
If you are traveling on a bigger budget or are looking for a quieter place, stay at Hotel Tradita. The hotel is located perfectly in the center of all the action and it is housed in a perfectly restored and decorated authentic old building. Its courtyard is beautiful and the owners make sure you have a great stay.

– Practical information –

When

Shkoder has a Mediterranean climate and with that it is perfect to visit year round. Best are April – June and September – November as the days are long and sunny and the temperature great but not as boiling as in the hottest summer months of July and August. March has the highest changes of rainy days and is best avoided.

Budget

As is true for everywhere in Albania, Shkoder is friendly on the budget.

Daily Budget	EUR 40 ( 45 USD)
Lunch at a local bakery	EUR 0.50 ( 0.50 USD)
Meal in a restaurant	EUR 3-8 (4-9 USD)
Dorm	EUR 8 (9 USD)
Double in a 3-star hotel	EUR 50 (55 USD)

In & Out

While Shkoder has a railway station, currently there are little connections by rail. It is not connected to the great European lines and there is also no connection to Tirana. While there are plans for an airport currently there is none which means the only viable option is road travel. Albania, and the whole Balkan for that matter are great for road trips but bus travel in easy and cheap as well.

The bus to Tirana leaves next to the big roundabout called ‘Shesi Demokracia’. The bus takes about 2.5 hours, leaves every hour and costs 300 LEK. Busses to Montenegro leave rights across the Rozafa Hotel at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM. It takes about 2.5 hours to reach Podgorica, which will costs EUR 10 plus EUR 2 for your backpack. The bus continues on to Budva and Kotor. Tickets for the 10:00 AM bus can be booked online here (or bought in the bus) and are organised by Kotor Old Town Travel.