how to spend your days
Find out what to expect
Kruja rewards slow days. Between the castle, the bazaar and the hills there is enough to fill a long weekend, and enough quiet to make it feel like a rest.
Watch the sun set over the Adriatic
The sunset here is the descent of the heavens onto the castle. Stretch out your arms and you would think your hands had touched the waters of the Adriatic. Tirana, Durres, Kepi i Rodonit, Shkodra and Ulqin lie all around, and at night their lights look like fireflies daring you to follow them towards the Milky Way.
Sunset at the Castle
- Warm your body and soul around a bonfire
- Sing, dance and celebrate with the friends and family
- Spirit of finding our way forward together
- Enjoy a glass of cheer with starters
Taste the kitchen of Kruja
Kruja’s culinary tradition is a mosaic gathered across centuries. Its emblems are olive oil, hashure and kabuni. The oil comes from the centuries-old trees planted in every Kruja courtyard, a small, oily fruit whose flavour is shaped by the wind of both the sea and the mountain. Hashure is cooked once a year in copper pots with grains, dried fruit, walnuts, honey and cinnamon, and shared with family, friends and neighbours until whole neighbourhoods smell of it.
Kabuni, whose name comes from Arabic, was the dessert of the sultans and is still served warm in the restaurants of the town. To bring it to the table is a strong sign of welcome and respect for a guest. Breakfast at Albergo Diffuso Kruja is served in the courtyard among medieval amphorae planted with flowers, and is supplied by the dairies and farms of the area.
Walk the hills and the springs
Beyond the historical marvels, Kruja reveals a tapestry of nature. Stone valleys and green hills make the scenery, while the panoramic view of the Adriatic is a sight to behold. Beside the castle rises the fortress mountain, from which the crystal water flows into the hundreds of springs that give the town its name: Kroje, Kruje.
Hiking Trails
Countless trails run through the landscapes around the town. As the sun descends it casts a golden glow over the mountains and valleys.
The Springs
Hundreds of springs rise from the mountain beside the castle. The town takes its very name from them.
Meet the artisans
The cobbled streets of the Old Bazaar come alive with local artisans plying their crafts. Here you can watch the qeleshe, the iconic Albanian cap, take shape under skilled hands, and find the fabrics and rugs woven by the women and girls of Kruja, an art passed from one generation to the next.
The leaves of the plane tree are the symbol of this castle and of Kruja Albergo Diffuso itself, taking on magical colours from the kiss of the sun in every season.
Seen from the walls
From the castle the whole coast opens up. Tirana, Durres, Kepi i Rodonit, Shkodra and Ulqin are all within reach for a day out, and the drive back up the hill at dusk is worth the trip on its own.
Note
- Before entering Lake, one has to register their names
- Don’t through waste.
- Be cautious about slippery rocks.
kruja in the press
