Welcome in Kruja City

Here you are surfing the historic city, the one who was for 25 years under the leadership of Scanderbeg, the simbolic protection of the christianity in those times.
To understand what the city is today we should see a little bit in the history behind.
You come into Kruja (pronounced: Kru-yah) past age-old olive trees and lime-kilns, with limestone outcrops offering the barest grazing to a few sheep and goats.
Then shrubs and oaks replace the olives, and finally the conifers take over. "Kruj'" means "Spring" and of course there is no shortage of fresh water at these cool heights.
The air invigorates you after the hot, humid plain of Tirana, and one can easily imagine why the old Ilyrrian settlement of Zg'rdhesh was abandoned in the forth century, and the refugees from the hotter, more exposed foothills chose to defend a mountain eyrie instead.
Kruja in ancient times was called Bistrum Albanum, maybe becuse of the near city of Albanopolis. Archaeological research has verified that Kruja has been a Illyrian city of the III century b.c.
The ecclesiastical record of the ninth century mentioned Kruj' as a bishop's see. The byzantine held the city up to c.1190, when the first Albanian feudal state was declared at Kruj' under the archon Progon (1190-8).

View from the city

The main painting on the wall. It rapresentes the main battles and gestures of Scanderbeg and in front of this paint is keept a copy of his sword and helm, the originals are still on the museum of Vienna.
Very interesting is the upper side tof the helm that shows the horns of the He-goat. Seems he wanted to show his connection with shephards and desire for freedom(remember that main part of the albanian population in those times was mainly working on breedstock and agriculture.

The castle rapresents for the albanian people the simbol of the hard efforts and endless wars during the centuries for freedom and indipendence.
The National Hero Scanderbeg for 24 four years made the country a shield for europe, and could keep the turks away from albania. Three times the Great sultans of that time with the biggest armies and tecnologies were defeated and couldn`t occupy such a castle as Kruja.

The main buildings were builted by Venetians in a triangle form, latter distroyed and reconstructed by Turks was adopted by Scandebeg. Who reinforced it with more fortifications.
These elements, the natural position in a dominant place builded on the feet of high montains, made this castle impossible to be taken by attack.
Unfortunately after the death of Scanderbeg the turks destryed part of it and the most was destroyed during an earthquake in 1617.

The inside part of the castle
Still here are few remaining houses remembering the old forms of the castle.

A view of the museum where are kept many historic documents showing the life, efforts, battles, inside and from outside of albania,
And also the connections of Scanderbeg with western europe, in his efforts not to remain alone on the war against turks.

Here are many portrets and pictures of Scanderbeg made by different foreign painters. By this we can deduce that this man was really very much appreciated on his times and later.

It is worth to pay a visit and have a dinner at the upper restaurant beside the upper walls of the castle.
The view in from of you will make it unforgetable!

At the entry of Museum.
Group of albanian fighters under the leadership of Scanderbeg
significating the the albanian people and it` s desire for freedom.

View from an old church of the XV century inside the castle.
Worth to pay a visit.