Kruje

Kruje is the hear of Albanian independence and its historic medieval capital. Pictured above is the Skanderbeg Museum.

Kruje's old market

You can see all the way to the Adriatic Sea from Kruje.

Skanderbeg was an Albanian nobleman sent to the Ottoman court in a high ranking hostage / Janissary function. He defected back to Albania after the Battle of Nis in 1443, and liberated central Albania from Ottoman and Venetian rule for over 25 years.

Over the course of his life, Skanderbeg was a Orthodox Christian, Muslim, and Catholic.

The Ottomans tried to seize Kruje three times from Skanderbeg in the 15th century, and failed each time.

Skanderbeg even led an expedition to Italy to help his Aragonese allies fight French (Angevin) rivals in Naples.

Skanderbeg's original family name was Kastrati. Albania's main gas station uses this name and his crown (in Vienna for some reason) for its logo.

Some Albanian bread and butters

A traditional Albanian savory pie, with a goat rib in the center

This tower is a remnant of the Castle of Kruje.

Kruje is less than an hour from Tirana, traffic permitting.