Pranvera

Rozafa Castle is an ancient castle located near Shkoder, Albania. It is surrounded by the waters of three rivers, Buna, Drini, Kiri and near Shkodra Lake in northern Albania. Rozafa is one of the major castles in Albania and the most important attraction in Shkodra.

The 4000 years old Rozafa Castle holds a few important attractions.The castle dates back  to Iliryan times, and Latin historian Titus Livius called it “stronghold of the Lebeats”. The Ilyrian queen, Teuta, used it as a base in the wars against Rome.

The name Rozafa first appeared in the Middle Ages.

The name is linked to the legend ‘of the kept promise’ which is common in one form or another to all Balkan peoples. According to the legend, Rozafa, the wife of the youngest of three brothers, accepted to be buried alive in the walls of the castle. The brothers had been building the castle in the day only to find that the walls had collapsed during the night. 

At the entrance to the castle you can see the Rozafa bas-relief.

According to popular imagination, the lime water that leaks at the main entrance is the milk running from Rozafa’s breast which was left outside the wall so that she could feed her newborn baby.

The castle assumed the shape it has today from the time of the Balsha family rule in the 14th century.

Most of the remaining walls of the castle  belong to the Venetian period. The walls of Rozafa castle are 880 metres long and encircle an area of nine hectares.

Within the walls of the castle is also a Rozafa museum that explains the various periods in the life of the castle.