Located close to the Montenegrin border, in the north-west of the country, Shkodër lies in the foreground of the Albanian Alps.

Sited at the edge of the city, on a hill within the junction of the Buna and Drini Rivers, is Rozafa Castle - Shkodër’s primary tourist attraction. The castle rises imposingly on a rocky hill, 130 meters above sea level.

Rozafa Castle Shkoder

Due to its strategic location, the hill has been settled since antiquity. It was an Illyrian stronghold until it was captured by the Romans in 167 BC. The fortifications, as they have been preserved to date, are mostly of Venetian origin.

Within the perimeter of the castle - which is defined by a protective wall and bastions – there still stand the walls of a cathedral dating from the 14th century; the cathedral was later converted to a mosque, and the foundations of its minaret can also still be seen.

According to legend, the castle derived its name from Rozafa, the wife of the youngest of three brothers building the castle, who was entombed in the wall to ensure its cohesion. A wonderful panorama of the Albanian Alps, and of Lake Shkodër, can be had from the castle-wall.