16 Things to See in Shkoder: Albania’s City of Bicycles
Shkoder is Albania’s fourth largest city and while not that big, there are a few things to see. I spent two weeks in Shkoder exploring and checking out the all the things to see in the city.
There are two things I noticed immediately that make Shkoder different from other Albanian cities: it is extremely bike friendly, and there’s a lot of churches. You will hear church bells all day, and see people riding bikes everywhere!
Things to See in Shkoder
Shkoder doesn’t have a long list of things to see, but there’s enough to keep you busy for a few days. It’s on a beautiful lake, has lots of pretty churches, and a few historic sites.
Planning a trip to Shkoder? Check my full guide to Shkoder.
If you run out of things to do in the city, you can hike or bike to Lake Shkodra or the Mesi Bridge which will fill at least half a day. Both are worth seeing.
1. Rozafa Castle
Rozafa Castle is the most famous thing to see in Shkoder. Try to come early in the day because it gets a lot of tour groups.
The castle is 2 km from the centre, on a hill overlooking the city. Originally built in the 4th or 3rd century BC, it has been the site of several sieges and under Illyrian, Venetian and Ottoman rule.
There’s an extra fee to get inside the museum, which is where the famous statue of Rozafa is located. There’s also a cafe on site, but it was closed when I was there.
Make sure you wear good walking shoes. The road leading up to the castle and main path inside the castle are rough cobblestone – very uneven. A bit treacherous to be honest.
I walked to Rozafa Castle from the centre, but the Fermentim-Center-Bahcallek public bus goes past it. You still have to walk up the hill, but it gets you reasonably close. The bus is supposed to run every 30 minutes, but I don’t think it’s that punctual.
2. Site of Witness and Memory
A lot of visitors are unaware that Albania spent over 40 years under a very repressive communist dictatorship. Just about every family in Albania has relatives who were persecuted or disappeared during that time.
This museum is dedicated to the Shkodra victims and is housed in a former Ministry of Interior building with prison cells and ‘investigation’ rooms. Some of the cells held religious clergy and are decorated with crosses.
It’s not a feel good kind of site, but important to visit. Communism and the repression Albanians lived under is fairly recent history (1944-1991). It had an enormous impact on every aspect of their lives, and they are still living with the aftermath.
3. Old Town
In the centre of Shkoder is the Old Town, an area of historic buildings and churches. The main pedestrian thoroughfare, Rruga Kole Idromeno runs down the centre. Rruga Gjuadol is the other main road in Old Town. There are lots of smaller and quieter lanes off of these.
It’s very quaint, but also touristy. Certainly pleasant to walk around and explore with lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and churches.
This is where much of the Shkoder night life is. My friend was renting an Airbnb in this area and she said it was pretty loud at night.
4. Metropolitan Cathedral (St. Stephen’s)
This is the church with the imposing bell tower you will no doubt hear if staying in the vicinity. If you only visit one church in Shkoder, make it St. Stephen’s. It’s gorgeous and historic, built in 1867.
There are beautiful paintings inside and a wonderful statue of the Archangel Michael slaying Satan.
The church is open in the mornings and evenings. The first time I visited in the mid-afternoon it was closed.
5. History Museum
This is basically an ethnographic museum located in a traditional home previously owned by a local family. It’s small and a bit under-whelming, but worth a quick look if you’re in the area.
The guide told me the home was taken from the previous owners by the municipality without any payment. I’m not sure how true this is, but that kind of thing did happen during the communist regime.
The house is divided into 3 sections – traditional living quarters, visual arts (paintings and sculptures) and ancient artefacts. It took me about 30 minutes to go through it.
6. Marubi Museum
I was very curious to see this museum because I had read glowing reviews. The museum was smaller than I expected, but the photography was striking.
The museum promotes local photographers and focuses on chronicling the culture and history of Shkoder. There’s also a collection of antique camera equipment.
7. Christ Orthodox Cathedral
This is a large Orthodox church in the Old Town. It’s newer (built in 2000) so lacking any historic charm, but still very pretty inside. I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it, but worth a look when you’re exploring the area.
Most churches and mosques were destroyed during communism, so Albania doesn’t have many historic religious buildings any more.
8. Shkodra Lake
Lake Shkodra is the largest lake in Europe and borders Montenegro. On the Albanian side it’s classified as a managed nature reserve. It’s one of the best natural sites to see in Shkoder.
The lake starts about 2 km from Shkoder, and you can easily walk or bike there. I rented a bike from Anna Tours in Shkoder (500 lek – $6 USD for the whole day) and biked over to Shiroka, a small lakeside town.
It’s a pleasant bike ride – very flat. They were making a new pedestrian walkway from the centre all the way into Shiroka, and it looks like part of it will be a designated bike path.
The abandoned villa of King Zog is in Shiroka. It’s possible to explore if you hop the fence, which clearly many people do because there was a tree stump conveniently placed to aid the hop over.
From Shiroka you can continue on to the village of Zogaj on the Montenegrin border. There’s spots to swim along the way.
9. Mesi Bridge
Only 8 km from Shkoder is this beautiful 18th century Ottoman bridge. The bridge was recently restored and you can now use it to cross the Kir River on foot.
It was built in 1770 as part of the road that crosses the Kir Valley and goes all the way to Pristina in present day Kosovo.
You can easily bike there from Shkoder. I rented a bike from Anna Tours, but there are numerous bike rental places in the centre. The standard rate is 500 lek ($6 USD) a day.
10. St. Francis Church
This church has a fantastic series of large anti-communist paintings and is one of the most interesting things to see in Shkoder. Very unusual for a church, and there’s a story behind it.
In 1949 during the communist regime, the Sigurmi (Albanian secret police) planted a stash of firearms in the church and accused the priests of hiding the weapons. Many priests went to jail. You can see their jail cells in the Site of Witness and Memory Museum.
After the fall of communism in 1991 the church re-opened. It was extensively restored and the series of anti-communist paintings were placed very prominently in the church.
One of the paintings is titled “the Great Lie,” referring to the persecution of the Franciscan priests by the Sigurmi.
11. Ebu Bekr Mosque
Also known as the Great Mosque, this is a new mosque built in 1995 and funded by the Saudi government. It’s built on the site of the historical Fushe Cela Mosque and madrassa, which were destroyed during communism.
Shoes must be removed, but as I was about to cover my hair with a scarf, I was told not to. The same thing happened at the Et-hem Bey Mosque in Tirana.
After decades of religious repression, locals have a different view of religion, tending to be progressive.
12. Zdrale Market
This is a big local market. The main part is the fresh produce section on Rruga Evlija Celebiu, but the market spills over into the adjacent streets and is basically the whole area.
You’ll find everything from fish, meat, produce and even a flea market with used clothing, and lots of small repair shops.
I was there on Saturday morning and it was very busy with locals. Kind of a fun thing to see in Shkoder.
13. Free Walking Tour
I always like to take a free walking tour when I arrive in a new place. It’s a great way to get acclimated and ask for local recommendations. These tours are not actually free, you tip your guide whatever you feel the tour is worth.
This free walking tour lasted 2 hours and hit all the main sites in the centre. I asked lots of questions about where to eat, how to get the local buses and where to rent bicycles.
The guide was great about filling us in on Shkoder’s history and tidbits of information only locals know.
I always book my free walking tours through GuruWalk.
14. Meridian Hotel Rooftop
The Meridian Bar & Restaurant has a fantastic rooftop views of Shkoder. Head up there for a drink around sunset. It’s located on Rruga Studenti.
15. Lead Mosque
I was quite surprised when I saw this mosque – I was expecting a much older one with historic graveyard. It turns out the mosque reopened in 2025 after a complete reconstruction. The graveyard is even gone and turned into a sort of green space/park.
The mosque was originally built in 1773 by Pasha Mehmed Bushati who lived in Rozafa Castle. Apparently he would walk down from the castle daily to oversee the construction.
Lead used to cover the cupolas, hence the name, but it was all stolen in the early 1900s. During communism the mosque lost its minaret, but was spared destruction because of its status as a cultural monument.
It’s just down the hill from Rozafa Castle, and I visited both on the same morning.
16. Medrese Mosque
I found this by mosque by chance walking to Rozafa Castle. It has beautiful frescoes on the exterior which reminded me of Et’hem Bey Mosque in Tirana.
It’s about 2 km out of the Shkoder centre and worth seeing if you’re headed out toward the castle or Lake Shkodra.
Best Day Trips from Shkoder
These are day trips you can easily take from Shkoder. Velipoja Beach and Lezhe are very manageable independently, while Komani Lake and Theth are better with an organized tour.
Velipoja Beach
When Shkoder locals want a beach day they head to Velipoja Beach. It’s a pebbly beach on the Adriatic Sea, very close to the border with Montenegro.
The beach is organized, with sun beds and umbrellas you can rent, and restaurants. I had never heard of this beach until my last couple of days in Shkoder when an American expat that lives there told me about it.
During the summer there’s buses that leave from the Kinema Republika on Bulevardi Skenderbeu. Fare is 200 lek ($2.45 USD) and it takes 45 minutes.
Lake Komani & the Shala River
These are two of Albania’s best things to see, and they’re only 2 hours from Shkoder. To see them, you take one of the daily ferries.
Lake Komani is a man-made lake resulting from a huge dam on the Drin River. The Shala River feeds into it and is often dubbed the Thailand of Albania for the spectacular scenery.
While ‘Thailand of Albania’ is a bit of a stretch, it is one of the most magnificent river valleys in the world.
There are two ferry options: the car ferry that goes all the way to Fierza and back (about 2.5 hours each way), or the passenger ferry up the Shala River and back (about 1 hour each way).
You can book a day tour, like this Shala River and Komani Lake day tour, or take the ferry on your own from Komani.
Theth
Theth is an extremely scenic mountain village in Theth National Park. It’s a favourite hiking spot and the jump off point for the Theth-Valbona hike.
While you can definitely do Theth on your own by taking the Berisha Ferry bus there and back, I highly recommend doing a day tour with an experienced guide to make sure you see the most important sites Theth is known for.
Book this highly rated day tour of Theth from Shkoder that includes hikes to the Blue Eye and Grunasi Waterfall.
Lezhe
Lezhe is a small city 40 km south of Shkoder. If you’re looking for an easy day trip from Shkoder this is a good one. There’s buses back and forth all day, and it only takes 45 minutes.
Lezhe is an ancient city, and the site of a historic battle between the Albanians and Ottoman empire in the 13th century. Visit Lezhe Castle, Orthodox Church of Lezha, stroll the riverfront promenade or head over to nearby Shengjin Beach for the day.
How to Get to Shkoder
It’s easy to get to Shkoder. It’s a major Albanian city, and only 97 km Tirana and 86 km from Budva, Montenegro.
From Tirana Airport
Bus: Take the Hermes shuttle, which has several daily departures. Cost is 1000 lek ($12 USD). They are located in the parking lot outside the airport terminal. The drive is about 1.5 hours.
Taxi: You can take the shared taxi service TOTA, but you have to book ahead. Prices are from 2000 lek ($24 USD).
Airport taxis charge 7000 lek ($85 USD). I took a taxi the last time I went to Shkoder. The drive was less than 1.5 hours.
From Tirana Centre
Bus: There are multiple buses throughout the day from Tirana’s South North Bus Terminal and East Gate Bus Terminal. Cost is 500 lek ($6 USD), paid in cash to the driver. It takes 2 hours.
Taxi (Private Transfer): Tirana taxis offer transfers to Shkoder. I’ve never taken a transfer from the centre, but it’s probably around the same cost as from the airport (7000 lek – $85 USD). I use Taxi Landi for these kinds of transfers.
From Budva, Montenegro
Bus: Budva is surprisingly well connected by bus. There are several daily departures to Shkoder. Cost is €11 ($13 USD), and it takes about 2 hours.
Taxi (Private Transfer): I would arrange this ahead of time in Budva. Private transfers over borders are common (I’ve done a few myself in and out of Albania), but drivers need special insurance paperwork to go over the border. You can expect to pay around €100 ($120 USD).
Where to Stay in Shkoder
Try to stay in the centre near Sheshi Demokracia (Democratic Square), so you can explore the sites of Shkoder on foot. This is also near the historic centre (Old Town). I would avoid staying right in the historic centre, as it gets noisy at night.
These are well located and excellent hotels in Shkoder:
Luxury hotel: Hotel Colosseo
Mid-priced hotel: Hotel Mozart
Budget hotel: In Town Guest House Shkoder
Hostel: Scodrinon Hostel
Where to Eat in Shkoder
I always look for restaurants outside of the tourist zone, but in Shkoder there weren’t many. Locals prefer to eat at home. But I did find some good spots near the best things to see in Shkoder.
These were my favourite places to eat in Shkoder:
- Puri: Excellent traditional food. Simple place but delicious meals.
- Pasta te Zenga: Pasta restaurant where they make the pasta fresh every day.
- Kanelle: Small cafe with nice indoor and outdoor seating. Super friendly owner and good coffee.
- M’Kanda: The best ice cream and gelato in Shkoder. Many vegan choices and dog friendly.
Where to Go After Shkoder
From Shkoder it’s very easy to go to Theth or Tirana in Albania, or Montenegro. Shkoder is 16 km from the Montenegrin border.
Theth
Theth is an extremely scenic mountain village. It’s worth staying overnight, but book accommodation in advance because options are limited. I had a hard time find a place when I went in late September during hiking season.
Theth is located in Theth National Park and a favourite spot for hikers. The Theth-Valbona hike is one of the most famous in the Balkans.
Berisha Ferry operates daily buses from Shkoder to Theth and back. It’s 76 km and about 2.5 hours drive.
Tirana
Albania’s capital is 100 km south of Shkoder and very easy to get to. Buses leave all day from the centre.
Tirana is worth visiting, it’s one of Europe’s most under-rated capitals. It’s a quirky and charming city, very walkable, with almost all the attractions are located in the centre. Even if you’ve only got a couple of days in Tirana, you can see a lot.
Montenegro
Montenegro borders Albania’s north and is only 16 km from Shkoder. It’s a beautiful country – and doesn’t get the mass tourism that western Europe does. I stayed in Budva, Montenegro for a month and explored Kotor and Sveti Stefan from there.
While off the beaten path, each day there were different mega-yachts in the harbour.
FAQs About Things to See in Shkoder
Yes, Shkoder is worth visiting. It’s the traditional capital of Albania and has quite a few interesting things to do.
The most popular day trips are Lake Komani and the mountain village of Theth, but I also think the small city of Lezhe is a great day trip.
Yes, you can swim in Shkodra Lake. There are several small beaches along the lake past the town of Shiroka.
No, you cannot drink the tap water in Shkoder. While it’s fine for bathing and cooking, you should drink bottled water.
Last Words on Things to See in Shkoder
While Shkoder doesn’t have a long list of attractions to see, the things that really stood out to me were seeing bicycles everywhere (and having to dodge them when crossing the street), and hearing church bells all day long. Shkoder is a small, charming city and absolutely worth a visit.
