Day trip: Kruja

Kruja, an evocative town set 600 metres high on a mountainside, 30 kilometres north of Tirana, is a recommended destination to visit for both its stunning location and importance to Albania’s history. With origins stretching back to the Iron Age, the town has the distinction of being the capital of the first autonomous Albanian state at the end of the 12th century and the place where the noble warrior and national hero Skanderbeg held the Ottomans at bay during the 15th century. Kruja features a handful of interesting sights to keep visitors busy for a few hours, including an inhabited ancient citadel holding a faux medieval castle built in 1982 to house a Skanderbeg museum, and a better-than-average Ethnographic Museum. The town is also a popular destination for shoppers, as the Old Bazaar beside the city walls has the best range of traditional Albanian gifts and souvenirs in the country. Kruja is particularly lovely during the winter when the town is often covered in snow. The restaurants at the top end of the citadel offer great views of the surroundings and serve traditional Albanian food at tourist prices. Turkish coffee comes in a traditional copper pot and is best enjoyed curled up on the pillows that surround the low tables of some restaurants. There are a few hotels scattered around town, plus one or two more secluded places to sleep on the surrounding mountainside and a camping site on the winding road up from the valley below. Most easily reached by driving a short detour via the airport road or Vorë, Kruja is indeed easily visited on your way to or from the airport. On the way there, don’t miss Europe’s only statue of President George W. Bush. Minibuses to Kruja depart from Tirana regularly and cost around 300 lek; a taxi ride will costs around 3000 lek.

PLACES OF INTEREST

KRUJA CITADEL (KALAJA E KRUJËS) Kruja’s legendary fortress is perched on an outcrop of rock overlooking the valley. Its walls withstood waves of Turkish sieges, only finally being conquered well after Skanderbeg’s death. Entering the city gate from the Old Bazaar, you first come across the ruins of the old mosque of Sultan Mehmet Fath, dating back to 1478, just below the Skenderbeg Museum. Beyond that stands the Ethnographic Museum. Take a right down some lovely cobbled lanes to enter the inhabited part of the fortress; you’ll pass the hamam from around 1480 and finally the Dollma tekke, a Sufi shrine built in 1780 by the Toptani family (being renovated at time of writing). Outside are the graves of several babas and a dervish (holy men), shaded by a 500-year-old olive tree, said to have been planted to commemorate Skanderbeg’s wedding. A hole in the city wall near here offers great views over to the Adriatic Sea.

Skenderbeg Museum, Kruja

SKENDERBEG MUSEUM (GJERGJ KASTRIOTI SKËNDERBEU MUSEUM) Built to honour Albania’s most-loved national hero, this large and somewhat ostentatious museum is something of a pilgrimage site for Albanians from across the Balkans. Set in a fake castle built in 1982, the halls hold a huge diorama of the man and copies of things such as his sword and spiky helmet - the originals are in Vienna. The ticket office doubles as a small bookshop, and occasionally stocks interesting historical books in English.QKalaja e Skenderbeut, tel. +355 511 222 25. Open 09:00-17:00; Sun 09-00-14:00. Admission 500 lek.

ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM (MUZEU ETNOGRAFIK) A seriously beautiful traditional Albanian house built around 1800, exhibits on display include 19th-century women’s folk dress, traditional copper goods and clay utensils and some gorgeous pieces of original furniture. The friendly gentleman who looks after the place can take you on an English-language tour of the rooms to give you the full and fascinating story of the place.QKalaja e Skenderbeut, Kruja, tel. +355 511 222 25. Open 09:00-18:00. Admission 400 lek.

DUBYA IN KRUJA

GEORGE W. BUSH STATUE The unremarkable market town of Fushë-Kruje on the approach to Kruja hosts the only statue to US president George W. Bush in Europe on its main crossroads, with the plaque describing him as a “great friend of the Albanians”. This may have been torn down in any other country, but here goes to show Albania’s long fascination with the land of the bald eagle, and its gratitude for US help during the Kosovo conflict. Bush is depicted with his sleeves rolled up during his visit to Albania in 2007, and legend goes that he lost his wristwatch while greeting enthusiastic crowds in this town, something later denied by US officials. Just around the corner there’s also a great byrek bakery and a bar named after the former statesman. QFushë-Kruje.

Bye bye watch

WHERE TO EAT

BARDHI An atmospheric, traditional-style building on the far edge of Kruja’s citadel, with awe-inspiring drops right beside the terrace, Bardhi is Kruja’s best option for farm-to-table food, with menu full of Albanian dishes made with organic products from the Bardhi family farm. Try the delicious bruschetta starters before moving on to a ‘village rooster’, grilled lamb ribs or calf liver with cheese - or settle for quality pasta or pizza. Home-made cheese, pots of jam, compote and pickles as well as wine and raki are also for sale here.QRr. Kala, Kruja, tel. +355 69 209 88 75, www. restorantbardhi.com. Open 09:00-22:00. €€€. APTBL

WHERE TO STAY

PANORAMA HOTEL KRUJA Not called the Panorama for nothing, this popular hotel right next to the Old Bazaar comes with well-equipped rooms, the best of them boasting balconies with views to die for. The hotel’s two restaurants churn out a magnificent array of local dishes.QRr. Kalase, tel. +355 511 243 36, www.hotelpanoramakruje.com. 85 rooms (singles €45, doubles €45, triples €55). APUBVWKi