Krujë Castle, Krujë, Albania - SpottingHistory.com

The Krujë castle was the center of Skanderbeg's rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. During the Albanian Revolt of 1432-1436 the city was unsuccessfully besieged by Andrea Thopia and Ottoman rule was restored. After Skanderbeg's rebellion in 1443 the castle withstood three massive sieges from the Turks respectively in 1450, 1466 and 1467 with garrisons usually no larger than 2,000-3,000 men under Skanderbeg's command. Mehmed II 'The Conqueror' himself could not break the castle's small defenses until 1478, 10 years after the death of Skanderbeg. Today it is a center of tourism in Albania, and a source of inspiration to Albanians.

Inside the castle is the Teqe of Dollme of the Bektashi (an Islamic Sufi sect), the National Skanderbeg Museum, the remains of the Fatih Sultan Mehmed mosque and its minaret, an ethnographic museum and a Turkish bath.

Another attraction for tourists is the Ethnographic Museum, located in the south side of Kruje Castle. This museum is designed based on a typical house of 19th century. It reveals the sustainable methods of tools, food, drink and furniture production in a typical household. There are also objects and old wood and metal supplies that represent the lifestyle back then in the castle.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Ron Frumkin (6 months ago)
Nice historical site with beautiful view from it. There is an interesting ethno-folklore museum, as well as several restaurants and many shops for tourists - all the same...

Scott Thiemann (6 months ago)
Great perch and view. I've enjoyed other castles in Albania more and also thought them more authentic.

Laura Andžāne (7 months ago)
The castle itself is beautiful, standing there as an immortal testament to the times gone by. It is, however, out and about Kruja itself where you get the feel for the place - from the stunning sights to the bazaar just a short walk from the castle. Go there and bask in the beauty that is Albania! Oh, and the restaurant at the foot of the castle, unexpectedly, is really, really good. The food was surprisingly great.

B D (10 months ago)
Great place to take pictures with impressive views of the valley. The castle is well preserved and the grounds are clean.

Mix Harvey (10 months ago)
Loved this place!! Market stalls were fabulous. Good quality items

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn)

Historic Site of the week

Varberg Fortress

Varberg Fortress was built in 1287-1300 by count Jacob Nielsen as protection against his Danish king, who had declared him an outlaw after the murder of King Eric V of Denmark. Jacob had close connections with king Eric II of Norway and as a result got substantial Norwegian assistance with the construction. The fortress, as well as half the county, became Norwegian in 1305.

King Eric's grand daughter, Ingeborg Håkansdotter, inherited the area from her father, King Haakon V of Norway. She and her husband, Eric, Duke of Södermanland, established a semi-independent state out of their Norwegian, Swedish and Danish counties until the death of Erik. They spent considerable time at the fortress. Their son, King Magnus IV of Sweden (Magnus VII of Norway), spent much time at the fortress as well.

The fortress was augmented during the late 16th and early 17th century on order by King Christian IV of Denmark. However, after the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 the fortress became Swedish. It was used as a military installation until 1830 and as a prison from the end of the 17th Century until 1931.

It is currently used as a museum and bed and breakfast as well as private accommodation. The moat of the fortress is said to be inhabited by a small lake monster. In August 2006, a couple of witnesses claimed to have seen the monster emerge from the dark water and devour a duck. The creature is described as brown, hairless and with a 40 cm long tail.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Krujë Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Landmarks of Sicily

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Great Spa Towns of Europe

Historic Site of the week

Varberg Fortress

Looks like you are a history fan!