Weekend Guide · Albania
Weekend in Durres
Durrës, Albania's most important port city and second-largest urban centre, has been a crossroads of civilisations for nearly 3,000 years. Founded by Greek colonists as Epidamnus in 627 BC and known as Dyrrachium under the Romans, it was one of the most strategically vital ports in the ancient Mediterranean — the western terminus of the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road linking Rome to Byzantium.
Arrive & Explore Durres
Durrës Amphitheatre
The largest amphitheatre in the Balkans and one of the largest in the entire Roman world, originally capable of holding 20,000 spectators
Durrës Beach
One of Albania's longest urban beaches — a broad strip of sand stretching for kilometres along the Bay of Durrës, fringed by a promenade of hotels, restaurants, and cafés
Archaeological Museum of Durrës
Albania's most important archaeological museum, located near the Roman amphitheatre, housing an exceptional collection spanning 3,000 years of history
Hidden Gems & Local Flavours
Venetian Tower
A solitary medieval tower rising from the centre of modern Durrës — the most visible relic of the city's remarkable fortifications, built during the brief period of Venetian control in the 15th century
Ancient City Walls
Sections of Durrës's ancient city walls — among the most extensive surviving from antiquity in the western Balkans — thread through the modern city
Royal Villa
Set in a wooded park above the city, the Villa Mbretërore was the summer residence of King Zog I of Albania in the 1930s
Local Tips
- 1Albania is one of the most affordable countries in Europe.
- 2Albania is generally very safe for tourists.