Originally a church, later a mosque<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
*Fortress*<\/strong><\/p>\nThe interior of the castle complex is divided into three courtyards, separated from one another by gates. In each courtyard, there are buildings in varying states of preservation, such as a round tower, a warehouse, and a three-story building from the Venetian period. There are also four water reservoirs here. There is a prison here as well, and, as I mentioned above, a church converted into a mosque.<\/p>\n
The castle occupied an important strategic position, which allowed it to control a vast territory. It served as the center of a comprehensive defensive system consisting of a series of other smaller castles, such as Balleza, Drishi, Danja, and others.<\/p>\n
The Rozafa Castle Museum is located in the third (highest) courtyard. It is housed in a 15th-century building known as the \u201cCaptain\u2019s Quarter,\u201d which served as the residence of the castle commander. In front of its entrance stands a work by the Shkod\u00ebr artist Skender Kraju. The work depicts the legend of the castle\u2019s founding, which we\u2019ll discuss in more detail. There is also a restaurant operating in these historic spaces where you can grab a bite to eat.<\/p>\n
*The Legend of the Fortress’s Origins*<\/strong><\/p>\nAlbanians have passed this story down from generation to generation. According to legend, three brothers tried to build a fortress, but every night the walls they had just built collapsed. The brothers were at their wits\u2019 end, so they sought the advice of a wise old man, who told them that a human sacrifice was needed to break the curse.<\/p>\n
It was decided that the first wife to bring lunch to the workers would be walled up. It was Rozafa, the young wife of the youngest brother, who unwittingly sealed her fate. She accepted her fate, but on one condition: her right eye, right hand, right breast, and right leg would remain uncovered so that she could continue to raise and care for her child. This story is not only a testament to Rozafa\u2019s self-sacrifice but also an enduring symbol of maternal devotion and sacrifice. It reflects deep cultural values that still resonate in Albanian society today. It is a poignant story that highlights the themes of sacrifice and fate that permeate Albanian folklore.<\/p>\n
*My impressions of Rozafa Fortress*<\/strong><\/p>\nSince my husband and I were completely alone there, I was able to fully immerse myself in the atmosphere of this amazing structure. The fortress reflects various historical periods, and its architecture features elements of Illyrian, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman influences. Every stone tells a story of the military strategies, cultural influences, and architectural innovations of that era.<\/p>\n
The castle is entered through three main gates, each representing a different architectural style. The first gate is Roman. The second and third gates reflect Byzantine and Venetian influences and illustrate the evolution of military architecture over the centuries. To me, these gates are more than just entry points. They are historical \u201cmilestones,\u201d each with its own story of conquest, defense, and adaptation to the times and technologies.<\/p>\n
The walls of Rozafa bear witness to the fortress\u2019s primary defensive role. They are built to withstand sieges and attacks. Every layer of stone and mortar is a silent witness to the countless battles fought for control of this strategic location.<\/p>\n
I was particularly fascinated by the ruins of the church and the mosque. The church, originally built during the Byzantine era, was later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman period. For me, this is a manifestation of the cultural and religious diversity for which the city of Shkod\u00ebr has always been known, and remains so to this day. Again, it is not just about architectural elements. These are symbols of the cultural and religious dialogues that have taken place in this region.<\/p>\n
It was both an educational and inspiring experience that allowed me to connect tangibly with history. The castle walls and breathtaking views provide the perfect backdrop for exploring the castle\u2019s various sections. And it\u2019s not just about discovering history. It\u2019s an opportunity to connect with the timeless stories that have shaped Albanian identity.<\/p>\n
Na z\u00e1ver v\u00e1m pon\u00fakam \u013eudov\u00fa legendu, prelo\u017een\u00fa z alb\u00e1nskeho jazyka. Ide o hrub\u00fd preklad, tak za niektor\u00e9 nepresnosti sa vopred ospravedl\u0148ujem \u263a : <\/span><\/p>\nA fog descended upon the Buna and shrouded everything. This fog remained there for three days and three nights. After three days and three nights, a gentle breeze blew and dispersed the fog. It blew it toward Valdanuz Hill. Three brothers were working at the top of the hill. They were building a castle. But the wall they built during the day collapsed at night, so they couldn\u2019t finish it.<\/em><\/p>\nA kind old man passes by. <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cGood day, three brothers!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cThank you, kind old man. But where do you see the good in us? We work by day, and by night it all comes crashing down. Do you have any advice on what we can do to keep the walls standing?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cI know,\u201d says the old man. \u201cBut I\u2019m afraid to tell you, because it\u2019s a sin.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cLay that sin upon us, because we want to finish building this castle.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nThe good old man asks, <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAre the three of you married?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re married,\u201d they say. \u201cAll three of us have wives. So tell us, what must we do to finish building this castle?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cIf you want the walls to stand, you must not tell your wives what I\u2019m about to say. The one of the three wives who brings you food first tomorrow must be walled up alive in the castle wall. Then the wall will stand firm and last forever.“<\/em><\/p>\nThe old man said this and left.<\/em><\/p>\nThe eldest brother broke his word. He went home and told his wife not to go there the next day. The middle brother also broke his word\u2014he told his wife. Only the youngest kept his word\u2014he didn\u2019t tell his wife anything about the old man\u2019s claim.<\/em><\/p>\n Morning. The three brothers get up quickly and go to work. Hammers strike, stones break, hearts beat, walls rise. <\/em><\/p>\nAt home, the boys\u2019 mother knows nothing. She says to the eldest son\u2019s wife: <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cMy eldest daughter-in-law, the men want bread and water; they want pumpkin with wine.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nThe daughter-in-law makes an excuse: \u201cBesa, Mom, I can\u2019t go because I\u2019m sick.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nShe turns to the daughter-in-law of the middle son and says: \u201cMy middle daughter-in-law, the boys need bread and water; they want pumpkin with wine.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 Besa, Mom, I can\u2019t go because I have to visit relatives. <\/em><\/p>\nThe boys\u2019 mother turns to her youngest son\u2019s wife:<\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 My youngest daughter-in-law… <\/em><\/p>\nThe daughter-in-law stands up:<\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 Yes, Mom!<\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 The boys want bread and water; they want pumpkin with wine. <\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 Besa, Mom, I can\u2019t go, I have a little boy. I\u2019m afraid he\u2019ll want milk and start crying.<\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 Go, go, we can watch the boy, we won\u2019t leave him alone \u2013 say the sisters-in-law. <\/em><\/p>\nShe gets up, takes the bread and water, takes the pumpkin with wine, kisses the boy on both cheeks, leaves, and goes to Kazen; there she climbs Valdanuz Hill and comes to the place where three men are working: her two brothers-in-law and her husband.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\u201cGood work, masters!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\nThe hammers stop, but their hearts beat faster and stronger. Their faces pale. When the youngest brother sees his wife, he throws down his hammer and curses the stone and the wall. His wife says: <\/em><\/p>\n\u2013 What\u2019s wrong, my husband? Why are you cursing the stone and the wall? <\/em><\/p>\nThe eldest brother-in-law says: \u2013 You were born on a dark day, my sister-in-law. We have decided to wall you up alive in the castle wall.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\u201cAs you say, brother-in-law. But I have a condition: when you wall me up, leave my right eye out, my right hand out, my right foot out, my right breast out. For my son is small. When he starts to cry\u2014I\u2019ll look at him with one eye, stroke him with one hand, rock his cradle with one foot, and feed him milk from one breast. Let my breasts harden, let the castle stand, let my son be brave, let him be king and reign! <\/em><\/p>\nThey take the bride and wall her up at the foot of the castle. And the walls rise, rise, no longer crumbling as before. The stones are still wet and covered in moss, because a mother\u2019s tears for her son still fall\u2026 <\/em><\/p>\nAnd the son? The son grew up, fought, and reigned.<\/em><\/p>\nAndrea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIf you decide to follow in my footsteps and need advice on accommodations, food, hiking trails, or other ways to spend your time around the Albanian city of Shkod\u00ebr, feel free to contact me via email at ajka@uzisibalkaninak.com, my Facebook page \u201cEnjoy the Balkans differently<\/a>\u201d or Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\nP.S.: All photos are mine and are protected by copyright \u263a \u2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the title says, today I\u2019m taking you to northern Albania, to the city of Shkod\u00ebr (also known as Skadar in Slovak). And since it\u2019s truly a vast and significant historical monument, I\u2019ll be focusing exclusively on Rozafa Castle \u263a. The castle is the main tourist attraction in Shkod\u00ebr. I\u2019ll give you a detailed historical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1237,824],"tags":[1240,830,1256,1258,1242,1254,1260,1248,1246,1262,1264,1244,1250,1157,1252],"class_list":["post-2568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albania","category-uncategorized","tag-albania","tag-balkans","tag-buna","tag-drin","tag-february-in-albania","tag-fortress","tag-kir","tag-legend","tag-river","tag-rozafa","tag-shkoder","tag-skadar-lake","tag-the-lead-mosque","tag-walk","tag-walls"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":2568},"pll_sync_post":{},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2568"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2571,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2568\/revisions\/2571"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![](\"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/81-3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-4.jpeg\")
![](\"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/71-3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/79-3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/uzisibalkaninak.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/80-3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n