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

Dave Carr (2 years ago)
This is an amazing castle first built 1,000 years ago and offers a fascinating historical museum focused on Scanderbeg's role in Albanian history. Many displays and historical items. I had a tour guide to add to the experience. Kruja also offers an amazing views and the trip up the mountain by car is worth the trip as well, 360 view including the Adriatic Sea on a clear day.

David Hardman (2 years ago)
Interesting, but you need a guide for the most benefit. A very complicated history in this area. If you are on a coach, feel very sorry for the driver, hairpin bends everywhere.

Kim E. (2 years ago)
Really nice castle with museum. The entry for the castle is free, the museum fee is very cheap. Great view of the region!

Albert Hysa (2 years ago)
I liked the history inside those walls. The two museums are gorgeous. Maybe the historicity of the place could have been preserved better by not allowing restaurants inside, but at least the walls have been covered with stone. Absolutely a must if you are visiting Albania.

Christina Kr (2 years ago)
It was such a beautiful place. The scenery there was magestic with the greenery all over the place and those colourful flowers. The view from the castle which now is a museum is just wonderful . Also the market there has a variety of things to buy which are so beautiful, some affordable and some a little expensive. Finally in the restaurants the atmosphere was friendly especially the one called ELLI, the food was delicious which I thought it was a bit expensive but worth it ! For my first time it was a wonderful experience and of course I will go there again soon ! ❤

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Varvara_R

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Trinity Sergius Lavra

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a world famous spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church and a popular site of pilgrimage and tourism. It is the most important working Russian monastery and a residence of the Patriarch. This religious and military complex represents an epitome of the growth of Russian architecture and contains some of that architecture’s finest expressions. It exerted a profound influence on architecture in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe.

The Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, was founded in 1337 by the monk Sergius of Radonezh. Sergius achieved great prestige as the spiritual adviser of Dmitri Donskoi, Great Prince of Moscow, who received his blessing to the battle of Kulikov of 1380. The monastery started as a little wooden church on Makovets Hill, and then developed and grew stronger through the ages.

Over the centuries a unique ensemble of more than 50 buildings and constructions of different dates were established. The whole complex was erected according to the architectural concept of the main church, the Trinity Cathedral (1422), where the relics of St. Sergius may be seen.

In 1476 Pskovian masters built a brick belfry east of the cathedral dedicated to the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The church combines unique features of early Muscovite and Pskovian architecture. A remarkable feature of this church is a bell tower under its dome without internal interconnection between the belfry and the cathedral itself.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, echoing the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Moscow Kremlin, was erected between 1559 and 1585. The frescoes of the Assumption Cathedral were painted in 1684. At the north-western corner of the Cathedral, on the site of the western porch, in 1780 a vault containing burials of Tsar Boris Godunov and his family was built.

In the 16th century the monastery was surrounded by 6 meters high and 3,5 meters thick defensive walls, which proved their worth during the 16-month siege by Polish-Lithuanian invaders during the Time of Trouble. They were later strengthened and expanded.

After the Upheaval of the 17th century a large-scale building programme was launched. At this time new buildings were erected in the north-western part of the monastery, including infirmaries topped with a tented church dedicated to Saints Zosima and Sawatiy of Solovki (1635-1637). Few such churches are still preserved, so this tented church with a unique tiled roof is an important contribution to the Lavra.

In the late 17th century a number of new buildings in Naryshkin (Moscow) Baroque style were added to the monastery.

Following a devastating fire in 1746, when most of the wooden buildings and structures were destroyed, a major reconstruction campaign was launched, during which the appearance of many of the buildings was changed to a more monumental style. At this time one of the tallest Russian belfries (88 meters high) was built.

In the late 18th century, when many church lands were secularized, the chaotic planning of the settlements and suburbs around the monastery was replaced by a regular layout of the streets and quarters. The town of Sergiev Posad was surrounded by traditional ramparts and walls. In the vicinity of the monastery a number of buildings belonging to it were erected: a stable yard, hotels, a hospice, a poorhouse, as well as guest and merchant houses. Major highways leading to the monastery were straightened and marked by establishing entry squares, the overall urban development being oriented towards the centrepiece - the Ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra.

In 1993, the Trinity Lavra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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