The town of Kruja with its cobbled streets and dominant castle was the final stop on our week-long holiday in Albania. It is the town most associated with George Kastrioti (aka Skanderbeg), the 15th century Albanian national hero who fought against the Ottoman Empire, and the Skanderbeg Museum is the main feature within Kruja Castle.
The castle’s location, and that of our hotel for the night, provided fine views over the surrounding countryside and south towards Tirana.
Soon after our arrival in the late afternoon we made our way to the castle with its museum and were soon immersed in the story of Skanderbeg and his 25-year struggles for Albanian independence against the Ottomans. The museum itself is a relatively recent construction, dating only from the early 1980s, but it allows one to get more than a hint of how the Skanderbeg story has shaped the national identity of Albania.
Once we had taken in the views from the castle it was time to make our way back through the cobbled streets of the bazaar with its wide array of everything from the traditional to the tacky and return to our hotel.
Our tour was nearly over as it was off to the airport shortly after breakfast the next day.
Albania had indeed been an adventure, and not an unpleasant one, A good tour group and some marvellous history (and a particularly splendid mixed grill!) will be the lasting memories from this trip.
The China Penguin 