Most people shoot through Shkodër en route to Theth or stop briefly when making their way to or from Montenegro. Most of those same people would probably stop for longer if they realised quite how much Shkodër has to offer!
Give it just a little time and you could find yourself swimming in a secret blue karst spring, exploring hidden canyon pools, dining on fresh fish beside the lake, sipping espresso in one of the many excellent cafes and learning some of Albania’s dark history when walking through the old communist prison cells.
As most people don’t spend much time in Shkodër, it’s also likely that you’ll find a refreshing absence of crowds, which is a big win in Albania’s busy peak season.
So with that said, here are 9 of the top things to do in Shkodër.
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1: Swim in the secret Blue Eye
2: Catch a sunset from the spectacular Rozafa Castle
3: Enjoy a drink or dinner at the lake
4: Find the hidden canyon pools of Kanioni i Kirit
5: Visit the sobering Site of Witness and Memory
6: Cross the incredibly picturesque Mesi Bridge
7: Soak up the great cafe culture
8: Cool off in the secret cavern
9: Wander the old streets
Where to stay near Shkoder
Things to do in Shkodër
1: Swim in the secret Blue Eye
If you had your heart set on swimming in the electric blue waters of Southern Albania’s famous Blue Eye, you’ll probably be disappointed to hear swimming is now strictly prohibited.
But what if I were to tell you there is another blue karst spring that is completely off the tourist radar and just a short drive from Shkodër? No fences, no crowds, just pure cold water therapy!
Here you can channel your inner Wim Hof and swim uninterrupted in the vivid blue spring without another soul in sight.
It’s just a couple of minutes walk to reach the karst so it’s a great option for a hot day when you don’t want to do anything too exerting. Here’s how to find it.
2: Catch a sunset from the spectacular Rozafa Castle
We visited a lot of castles in Albania and Rozafa Castle has to be our favourite. We’d recommend visiting around an hour or so before sunset for that soft light and lack of crowds which make the experience so much more atmospheric.
I think if we’d visited in the intense heat of the middle of the day it would have had a completely different feel, at sunset it was special.
I loved wandering along the ramparts and taking in the stunning views; with rolling farmland, the snaking river and distant mountains in one direction and the city and sea in the other.
For us it was more about having a wander and soaking in the atmosphere, but if you want to learn some history I would read up on it first, or try and find a guide as there is little to learn on site.
During the summer time they will ask you to leave the castle around 8.30pm ish, the person on the gate told us 9pm, while the official close time on the board was 8pm.
We arrived around 7.30pm and this was the perfect amount of time for us, but you might want to come earlier if you like to have a really good poke around.
The entry fee is currently 400 Lek (€4) and the car park at the top is free of charge but small (fine if you’re coming late, but you’d have to be lucky to get a spot in the middle of the day).
The lower car park is 200 Lek (€2) from which you’ll have a short but steep climb up to the entry booth. The official opening hours are 9am-8pm in summer time.
3: Enjoy a drink or dinner at the lake
Gorgeous Lake Shkodër is absolutely huge and shares a border with neighbouring Montenegro. Most people come to swim or cycle around the lake, and there are various points you can pull off for a dip.
Zalli i Bardh was one of the nicer spots with its own little beach.
I’d already swum at the karst spring and canyon pools (which are much more special swim spots in my opinion) so we decided to come for dinner instead.
There are lots of restaurants and bars lining the water’s edge on the southern side of the lake (if you head west out of the city) and you can stop for a bite to eat, ice cream, or a drink.
We opted for Pelikani Kaçurrel which had the most glorious position on the lake. Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy my meal here, but Joe thought it was great and it has good reviews, so maybe don’t take my word for it!
If you don’t want to eat I would 100% come for a drink on the water here though and there’s great access to the lake for a swim below the restaurant too.
4: Find the hidden canyon pools of Kanioni i Kirit
The emerald swimming holes of Shkodër are absolutely spectacular yet you won’t find a single tourist there. That’s their loss and your gain, especially if you’ve been craving a quiet swim away from the crowds.
Whether you’re looking for a wide sun drenched stretch of river to bask on or a tight canyon swim, you’ll find it along the beautiful Kanioni i Kirit.
There are more glorious swimming spots along one stretch of the Kanioni i Kirit than you could visit in a stay of several weeks which guarantees you will find your own private spot.
5: Visit the sobering Site of Witness and Memory
You will need to steel yourself before heading into the Site of Witness and Memory because they don’t shy away from sharing the dark things that went on during the communist regime in a way that really brings it to life.
You should think of it in a similar vein to walking around Hoa Lo Prison (the prisoner of war museum) in Hanoi or Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh.
We walked in thinking it was a memorial, and it is, but not in the way we’d been expecting.
The museum is housed in the former Ministry of the Interior interrogation centre and shares some of the stories of those that were detained, tortured and killed for various ‘crimes’ against the regime, many of whom were simply priests or ordinary civilians trying to flee the country due to its harsh oppression.
The information isn’t presented in an easily digestible way, with lots of small text across many different panels, but even reading some of them will give you the gist.
The most difficult part of the museum to walk through is the former cells which are dark, damp and very small. Some now house memorials along with details of who was held there which were a tough read.
It’s a very eye opening museum which you absolutely should go to, but go prepared that it’s not an easy place to visit.
Entry is 200 Lek (€2) per person and weekend opening hours are limited.
6: Cross the incredibly picturesque Mesi Bridge
The picturesque Ottoman era Mesi Bridge can be found around a 15 minute drive from the centre of town (many people also choose to cycle).
It normally spans a beautiful crystal clear river, but our visit was during a heat wave in June and it was almost bone dry.
Even if the river is dry when you visit, the bridge itself with its gorgeous mountain backdrop is still absolutely worth seeing.
You can walk right the way over the narrow bridge and it makes for some lovely photo ops. We stayed just a few minutes drive away and saw it many times at different times of day and would say it is most photogenic around sunset when the light is softer.
However, if the river is running you might prefer to visit in the middle of the day and combine it with a refreshing dip.
7: Soak up the great cafe culture
Shkodër has a great cafe scene, with better options than much busier places such as Berat and Gjirokaster which really surprised us.
Our favourite brunch spot is Stolia which does rather addictive loaded toast. I may or may not have gone for the burrata, tomato and pesto toast four days in a row!
The toast is hard and crunchy which may sound off putting but it really works with the generous toppings. We didn’t try the coffee here but imagine it’s probably good.
For coffee we alternated between Skuta and Kanelle. Skuta is a very cool little cafe with the best vibe, think old rock star pics on the wall and a gramophone on the counter.
The coffee is also good, though as with most places we tended to have to add an extra shot to a flat white to make it strong enough (if you’re the same you’re probably better off just going for a double espresso and milk in most places in Albania).
Kanelle was not as trendy inside, though still nice, with more of a bar than a cafe feel. The double espresso here was great and you always got a warm welcome.
I tried to order my usual treble flat white the first time we visited and the owner flat out refused saying it was bad for my heart which gave me a good laugh.
He promised his double espresso and milk would be strong enough for me and he was right!
8: Cool off in the secret cavern
So this one is pretty niche, but if you want a cold plunge inside a blue pool within a cave then read on! But when I say cold plunge I mean Theth Blue Eye cold so it won’t be for everyone!
The drive to reach Zhylë Cave is an absolute stunner, so if you’re into scenic drives I would do it for that alone. The cave itself is fairly small so don’t come expecting intricate stalagmites or stalactites.
To find it head to this car park (passing the pools of the Kanioni i Kirit along the way) and you will see the cave entrance.
It was 40C the day we visited and we disturbed a few cows who had taken shelter in the entrance! Make your way through the first chamber which requires climbing over a few rocks, but it’s very easy. Just watch out for any wet rocks which can be slippery and don’t forget to bring a torch.
After just a few minutes you will come to a blue pool. It’s pretty deep, above waist height on me and ice cold. I waded in and found a hand line so I am not sure if it’s a caving spot but you can climb over that and you will reach another small chamber. It’s mainly wet, though there is a small dry area on the right.
I love caves so anything like this is right up my street, but it’s very small so don’t drive all the way out here expecting anything really special, however I always find when writing these guides that there are a few people out there who also enjoy these slightly off beat and random adventures!
9: Wander the old streets
It’s worth factoring in a bit of time simply to wander the old streets. The main two that you will certainly see just by chance are Rruga G’juhadol and Rruga Kolë Idromeno which are lined with cafes, restaurants and bars.
However, venture just a little off these two obvious options and you’ll find faded facades and atmospheric crumbling architecture without anyone else around.
It can be a bit of a warren but the streets are usually well shaded and you’ll see some of those quintessential European city scenes with shuttered windows and laundry strung up on small balconies.
There are also various churches you can wander into although none were especially noteworthy and that includes the cathedral which feels a bit sacrilegious to say, but in a country of phenomenal churches, Shkodër’s were really nothing to write home about.
Where to stay near Shkodër
We stayed at the Montflux Hotel, around a 15 minute drive from the city centre. By this point in our trip we were really over how noisy Albanian towns and cities are. We checked into an apartment in the city centre and immediately checked out again when we saw how noisy it was.
The Montflux Hotel is the polar opposite, it’s in a peaceful location by the beautiful Mesi Bridge and set back from the quiet road. The rooms are spacious, modern and very comfortable- it’s worth splurging a little extra on the deluxe rooms which are much larger.
The bathroom is small with the typical wet room style set up, but it’s so hot in Shkodër that it dries very quickly. The wifi is also lightning fast.
We ended up feeling so at home here we extended our stay which resulted in us exploring a lot more of Shkodër than we’d planned which was an unexpected treat!
You can check out the reviews and prices on:
Getting to Shkodër
Shkodër is the gateway to the the Accursed Mountains and roughly a 2 hour drive from Theth - though slow moving traffic means it will likely take longer. It’s around 1 hour 40 minutes from Tirana and 3 hours from Berat.
There are direct bus services from Tirana as well as Podgorica in Montenegro which is just over an hour’s drive away.
Buses from other destinations such as Berat generally require you to make a change so the journey times are slower than when travelling by car.
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