Shkodra, Albania

View of the city streets in Shkodra, Albania
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ShkodraSkyline.JPG
Author: Dardani89


Shkodra, also written as Shkodër, is a city on Lake of Shkoder, in northwestern Albania. The city, with a population of around 90,000 (2011 estimate), is one of the oldest and historical cities in the country. It experiences a Mediterranean climate. The hottest months are July and August, when the average temperature reaches 32°C (90°F). Coldest month is January, when the temperature drops to 1°C (34°F).

The city has been known as Scodra since antiquity. It became the capital of the Illyrian tribe in the mid 3rd century BC. The city fell to the Romans in 168 BC. Under the Romans, it became an important trading post.

During the Middle Ages, the area was settled by Serbs, who formed the Principality of Duklja in the area, with Shkodra being an important medieval city. Shkodra was under Byzantine control until 1474, when it was captured by Ottoman forces. In the initial years of Ottoman rule, the city declined in population. It only began to prosper in the 17th century, when it was made the center of a sanjak, or Ottoman administrative unit.

Monument in Shkodra
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:5_Heronjte_e_Vigut_-_Shkoder.jpg
Author: Leke Mjeku


Going into the 20th century, Shkodra found itself occupied by various forces. With the fall of the Ottomans, Shkodra was controlled by Montenegrin forces and their Serbian allies. Then in 1916 it was taken over by Austria-Hungary. After the Second World War, it fell to Socialist rule, which ended in the 1990s. Since then the city has experienced a revival of democratic rule.

Visiting Shkodra

There are buses that you can take to Shkodra from Tirana 116 km away. They leave every hour. The journey to Shkodra takes two hours and costs 300 Leke.

Places of Interest in Shkodra

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