Kalaja e Krujës

Kalaja e Krujës is a fortress above Kruja, Albania, with origins in the fifth or sixth century. Its position at 557 metres gives you broad views across the surrounding area.

Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg led his resistance against the Ottoman Empire from here from 1443. The defenders withstood major sieges in 1450, 1466 and 1467, often numbering only 2,000 to 3,000 men against much larger forces. The Ottomans captured the fortress in 1478, ten years after Skanderbeg’s death. Inside, the National Museum “Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg” presents documents, objects and reproductions from fifteenth-century Albanian history, while the Ethnographic Museum shows tools, furniture and household items in a nineteenth-century-style home.

The grounds also hold the remains of the Fatih Sultan Mehmed Mosque and its minaret, a Turkish bath, and the Bektashi Teqe of Dollme. Kalaja e Krujës remains a cultural heritage monument and a powerful Albanian symbol, appearing on 1,000-lekë and 5,000-lekë banknotes.