Euronews Albania’s most recent travel show titled ‘Udhetaret/Travellers’ stopped over in Lezha, in order to showcase its values and attractions, to a public that’s not familiarized with the city.
The city of Lezha can be easily reached by car from Tirana, – around 65 km north, – or from Shkodra – around 38 km south.
Historical Sites
The footsteps of civilization in Lezha date back at least since the Bronze Age, – something that is identified through the Illyrian archeological ruins found in the Mountain of Shelbue, or along the estuary of Drin River. In antiquity, this city was known with the name Lissos or Lissus, and later it became widely recognized for the city’s advanced fortification under the influence of the Illyrian tribes of the Ardians and Labeats.
It is exactly this period of progress that marks the foundation of the renowned Castle of Lezha, which is one of the most attractive destinations this city has to offer. Back in the 1400s, when Lezha was under the rule of Venice, the castle was rebuilt and during the Ottoman Empire it underwent another reconstruction.
In fact, during the Middle Ages, the city saw its most significant evolution in terms of the history that Lezha inherits to this day, where after events like the Slavic surges and the decline of the Byzantine Empire, the Ottomans came to the picture. It would be the year 1444, when the Albanian national hero, Gjergj Kastrioti known as Skanderbeg, gathered the chiefs and princes of all the Albanian principalities, in order to lead the harsh war against the Turkish threat, that would last for dozens of years, until his death.
The assembly that took place amongst Albanian princes was known as “The Covenant of Lezha”. After Skanderbeg’s tragic death in 1468, he was also buried in Lezha, where the tomb of Skanderbeg can be found to this day – at the Catholic Church of Saint Nicolas locally known as the Church of Shën Koll. After the Ottoman Invasion, this church was turned into the Mosque of Selimie.
Beaches of Shengjin and Tale
Lezha is characterized by its two notable Adriatic beaches, Shengjin and Tale, which are visited by hundreds of tourists every summer.
Shengjin can be reached by car, only 15 minutes away from the main city and Tale, 20 minutes away.
Lagoon Kune-Vain
The Kune-Vain lagoon is a natural park formed by the estuary of Drin meeting the Adriatic Sea. It covers a vast space reaching 44 km2 and an ecosystem that apart from its water creatures, is especially important for hundreds of unique bird life.
This area is home to around 60 species of fish and insects, 200 species of migratory and non-migratory birds and over 20 mammals.
It offers a bicycle runway through which visitors can easily get to the different zones, but boat rides are also offered for those wanting to get closer to the many colonies of birds.
For those that are passionate about wildlife, there is also a watchtower that can be used for pictures or birdwatching, with birds like bitterns, cormorants, flamingos and pelicans, widely present in the area.
Traditional Cuisine
Zadrima and Kallmeti are two of the most interesting areas that you should definitely not miss out on.
Known by the culinary world through its various agrotourism enterprises and its artisans, Zadrima has a lot to offer to visitors that are looking to emerge themselves into traditional northern cuisine and organic locally grown food.
Similarly, Kallmeti offers a series of fantastic varieties of vineyards and other wine byproducts. This area is also well known for preserving traditions including its characteristic costumes.
Seafood dishes, the famous rotisserie meat and the many varieties of pies known as burek, are also very characteristic of the entire region of Lezha.
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