The stone walls
Layers from different periods.
Arianit Dobroshi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arianit Dobroshi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sali Jonuzi — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lezhë Castle stands above the town of Lezhë in northern Albania, with its highest point at 186 m. It is one of the oldest sites in the area, overlooking the Drin plain, and visitors come for the view as much as for the buildings, though its stone walls still make a strong impression. It began as an Illyrian fortification and is tied to the name of Lissus, the ancient city that the historian Diodorus says was founded as a colony in 385 BC under Dionysius of Syracuse. Some scholars think the site was settled long before that. Later periods added to the walls on the hill. The remains of walls and towers spread over the slope among grass and scrub, and different layers of masonry can be told apart. The best part of the climb is the view over the town and plain, as far as the coast on clear days, which explains the site's position between river and sea. The way up is steep, so set out in the morning or before sunset, and bring water, since we could not confirm any services at the top. The foot of the hill lies 600 m in a straight line from the Skanderbeg Memorial, so one walk covers both. Lezhë is 34 km in a straight line from Shkodër, a good stop on the road to Tirana.
Layers from different periods.
Town, plain and coast.
A paved road up the hill.
Above the town of Lezhë, northern Albania
It is steep but suits most visitors. Bring water and good shoes.
Scholars tie it to ancient Lissus, mentioned by Diodorus in 385 BC.
