The Very Best Things To Do In Kruja, Albania

Planning a day trip or stay in Kruja, Albania? Our guide’s got you covered with our favourite things to do, where to find the best viewpoints, tips on where to eat and our accommodation picks if you want to spend the night!

We thought he was a viking.

Flowing beard, strong nose, determined piercing stare, helmet with horns.

We had never heard of the warrior that gazed down on us from all sides, and his nom de guerre – Skanderbeg – only added to the impression that there was some sort of Scandic or Nordic link.

But surely the vikings never made it over to Albania?

Balanced on mountain slopes less than an hour’s drive from Tirana Airport, the town of Kruja was the first stop on our Albanian road trip. A convenient detour on the way north to Shkoder and the Accursed Mountains, wearrived later than planned in a better than expected jeep.

Basked in late afternoon light, it offered the first glimpse of how much more there was to Albania than the coast and communists.

At one time, Kruja was the most important place in these lands, and the scourge of the Ottoman Empire. Three times they laid siege to it, and three times they failed.

Their nemesis? The man called Skanderbeg, the leader of the Albanian rebellion, a proper national hero.

Think of him as the Albanian Braveheart – and most definitely not a viking.

It’s in Kruja, his most important holdout, where you will learn of the victories, losses, and the siege mentality which runs deep in the Albanian psyche, from which a national identity was shaped.

A popular day trip from Tirana, it’s a small but important historical town, in a stunning verdant mountain setting.

With a bakery called George W. Bush.

In this travel guide, we’ll share the best things to do in Kruja*, plus travel better tips to make the most of your visit, avoid a scam, know where to stay, and skip a parking nightmare.

*by the way, it’s Krujë but lots of people refer to it as Kruja and Kruje.

The Best Things To Do in Kruja, Albania

The Bazaar of Krujë

On these slippy, shiny, uneven cobbles, treasures can be found.

A narrow open-air arcade with timber-framed shops on both sides of the street, colourful rugs and tattered military uniforms are displayed together in the Bazaar of Kruje. A constant presence in the town for five centuries, it once numbered around 200 shops.

Today, its trade is definitely only focussed on tourists and day trippers, with all manner of genuine vintage curiosities from World War Two and the Communist Hoxha-era to traditional folk dress and cheap Chinese-made souvenirs with the signature red and black with a double-headed eagle.

Don’t expect an authentic, bustling local’s market.

One shop we want to draw your attention to in particular though is Qeleshe Punes Hyseni (maps), a seven-generation wool workshop where he crafts beautiful slippers – we didn’t see quality like them elsewhere on our trip.

For us, the small bazaar brought back surprising memories of Peru, and we suggest that this is better for a proper browse and to buy souvenirs – particularly rugs, just make sure they take you to the good ones they keep out of the sun – than the bazaar street down in Gjirokaster.

Where + When | The Kruja Bazaar is impossible to miss as you wander around town, but you can find it here on Google Maps. We think it’s open every day from about 9/10am.

George Bush & The View

The bazaar leads onto Rruga Albanopolis, which has one of the best viewpoints in town (maps).

This is also the main street in town for accommodation, including theHotel Panorama andVilla Castriota.

Continue on and you’ll arrive on the pedestrianised Rruga Pazari Vjeter, which has a few shops and lounges for a thick, syrupy espresso or a cold bottle of Birra Tirana away from most of the other visitors, and leads on to Skanderbeg Square (maps)

On the parallel street, and down in the new section of town (Fushë-Krujë), you’ll see a pharmacy, a baker’s, and even a car wash named after George W. Bush. The reason the 43rd President of the US is so prevalent – there’s even a 10-foot tall statue a town square named after ‘Dubya’) is due to his stop here in the mountains in summer 2007 during the first visit to post-communist Albania by a US President.

A pivotal moment in the country’s on-going journey from a hermit kingdom, Albania is staunchly pro-American for a number of reasons (one only needs to read about the significant of a can of Coca-Cola in Lia Ypi’s book Freedom ato understand why), and thousands of residents turned out to greet Bush.

Whether or not one stole his watch though was subject to debate.

Know | Exit the other side of the Bazaar to walk up to the castle, and you’ll go up Rruga Kala. This is more of tourist part with a few places to eat, drink, or grab an ice-cream. However, we have to point out one place – Bar Restorant Eli – which has an incredible 1.7 rating on its Google Review and some of the worst feedback we’ve ever seen. Whilst food quality is always subjective, it sounds like scams to overcharge are incredibly common, so we recommend avoiding it. Restaurant KROI further up the hill has excellent reviews across the board though – find it here on Google Maps.

Travel Tip // One thing we quickly noticed in Albania – particularly in historical towns like Kruja, Berat and Gjirokaster – is that a viewpoint’s beauty can change with the slight turn of the head. Look out in one direction and it will be stone roofs of an old Ottoman stronghold, but allow your gaze to fall slightly to the left or right, and historical rapidly gives way to tower blocks and concrete modernity.

Just a reminder to take a proper look around if you don’t immediately see the beauty in what you see.

Kruja Castle & The Skanderbeg Museum

The most famous citadel in Albania, this was the stronghold from which Skanderbeg defended Albania against the Ottoman forces for two decades.

It’s a strikingly modern building due to significant renovation efforts undertaken in the 1970s, which coincided with the opening of the Skanderbeg Museum within its walls in 1982. One of the lead architects was Pranvera Hoxha, daughter of the Communist dictator Enver Hoxha. We were taken aback by the aesthetic, but apparently Kruja Castle was largely in ruins before those changes.

Set over several floors, the galleries and exhibits are solely focussed on the strong features and victories of Skanderbeg.

Born of the noble Kastrioti family, he was actually a general for the Ottomans until he deserted them during the Battle of Kunovica (and converted from Islam to Christianity), leading 300 other Albanians into the medieval mountain fortress of Kruja. Taking advantage of their better knowledge and understanding of the terrain, they fought a guerrilla-style rebellion, defending Kruje from sieges in 1450, 1466, and 1467.

Indeed, Krujë did not fall until until 1478, ten years after Skanderbeg’s death

The book room is a particular highlight, whilst there’s an excellent video shortly after the entrance detailing the battles and incursions between the Albanians and Ottomans, but it’s slightly hidden away. The sword and iconic goat helmet (which you’ll see a lot on your travels) are unfortunately replicas, with the originals in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

It’s an enlightening way to spend 45 minutes to an hour, but you do have to engage with the displays and information to get the most out of it.

And, if you aren’t so interested in all the exploits of Albania’s national here, then the view from the castle walls is worth the price of admission.

Where + When | The official name is the Muzeu Kombëtar Gjergj Kastrioti, and you can find it here on Google Maps. It’s open every day from 9am-6pm.

Tickets cost 500 lek for adults (cash only), paid at the entrance.

Note that there are two routes up to Kruja Castle, with the quickest being via Rruga Kala (maps).

Afterward, take a short walk around the grounds, where you can see some sections of the old castle and other ruins. The Ethnographic Museum of Kruja is also up there (maps), but we didn’t visit as it was temporarily closed.

The Watchtower of Kruja & The Viewpoint Cafe

Strapped up with braces like a Victorian schoolchild with a broken leg, it’s not currently possible to go inside The Tower of Kruja – and we imagine that may remain the case for a few more years. Supposedly it’s the remnants of at 15th century church, but very little actually remains.

However, it’s a sensible next stop after the castle, and just a short walk via the secret entrance to take a look and then go for a drink or lunch with a spectacular, calming mountain view.

We followed the signs for “EMILIANO“, which is a no-frills family-run restaurant and accommodation (maps). We only had some not-good-at-all dolmades, so can’t vouch for the food, but the setting and views were exactly what we wanted for a beer in the shade.

Two other nearby options are Bar Restorant Bardhi Agroturizëm (maps) and Merlin (maps)

Where | Find the watchtower here on Google Maps, accessible on foot via the road from the castle or by going through the hall in the wall. Alternatively, it’s possible to drive and park up there in a handful of spaces instead of down in the centre.

Where To Stay in Kruja

As a relatively small town, there aren’t a huge number of accommodation options (although we believe they have increased in number quite significantly over the last few years), but those on offer have generally good reviews and are mostly reasonably priced.

Rooms Merlika | Within the castle walls, the rooms here may be relatively simple, but the views and location are top notch, the reviews exceptional and previous guests speak very highly of the hospitality they received.

Rooms Emiliano is a family-run guest house (and restaurant) that is also within the castle walls, a little more traditional and also has lots of positive reviews.

Hotel Panorama | Kruje’s ‘fancy’ option’, the rooms are nothing to get terribly excited about but the views from the balconies overlooking the bazaar and the valley below are wonderful – plus they have a pool. A cooling dip after a day’s sight-seeing could be worth its weight in gold during the Albanian summer!

Villa Castriota | Super comfortable and cosy rooms near the bazaar with gorgeous balcony views and an excellent breakfast.

How To Get To Kruja

Most will arrive from Tirana, the capital city, either by bus or on a day trip tour.

Another option however – and what we did on our Albania road trip – is drive directly to Kruja from Tirana airport on the way north. 

Alternatively, if you’re doing a longer Balkans trip, then you may travel south from Montenegro into  the mountains and / or Shkodër, then continue down to Kruja.

Kruja is also just an hour’s drive from Durres on the coast.

This is what you need to know.

By Car & Parking

From Tirana International Airport, it’s a 35-45 minute drive (20kms).

Hopefully the diversion on a muddy backroad shortly after the airport is no longer in operation, and it’s an enjoyable steep ascent with hairpin bends on the final stretch between Fushë-Krujë and historic Kruja.

However, the route into the the historic centre may provide a bit of an unpleasant introduction to driving in Albania for those of a nervous disposition: our Google Maps sent us a horrible way via slender cobblestone streets and a very tight spot where three vehicles were going down and we were going up.

Subsequent research leads us to believe that it defaults to that route, so we suggest asking it to go to the centre of Kruja via Market Saga – here on Google Maps. That’s the direction the car park attendant told us to exit the old town, and it’s a newer, wider and much easier road to take.

Note that there are some narrow streets, steepness, and pedestrians as you approach this historic centre, so go slow on arrival.

These are the main parking options (cash only), and we suggest having one in your GPS before you arrive.

Near Castle 24H | Run by a friendly old man, it’s 200 lek and this is the best option on price / niceness.

Parking of Castle Krujë | Where we parked, next to the Bazaar. It’s large and the easiest to access, but it is more expensive at 500 lek for 24 hours (or however long you stay). Campervans may be charged €10, and the lot is monitored by an attendant.

Another Option | 300 lek for a car and positive reviews, particularly as it allows you to avoid driving through the town to reach it. Possibly free for customers of Kroi restaurant.

You can also drive up the side road to the castle ruins for the small free parking area (maps), but it’s a very sharp turn to get up there and probably not a wise one for everyone to attempt. For most, it’s going to be easiest to park near the Bazaar and walk up.

If you have issues with any of the above car parks, or have an alternative suggestion for free parking, then do let us know in the comments as informal places pop up all the time.

Plan // 7 Things To Know Before Driving in Albania

kruje By Tour

If you’re not doing an Albanian road trip and not planning to stay overnight in Kruja, then the most convenient option may be to join a guided tour from Tirana. This popular full-day option has hundreds of excellent reviews, and includes your Skanderbeg Museum entry ticket plus a guided tour inside the Castle and Skanderbeg Museum.

By Bus

There are regular furgon (minibuses) services between Tirana and Kruja, with travel time of about an hour from various terminals in the city (100-200 lek).

From Shkoder, you may need to get a taxi up from Fushe Kruja (the new town).

Plan For Albania With Our Guides