“Discover the beauty of Lezha – the City of Skanderbeg’s Covenant

Lezha, the City of Skanderbeg’s League

Situated where the Drin River meets the Adriatic Sea and encompassing the fertile fields of Zadrima, Lezha, with its pyramid-shaped hilltop (Mount Shelbumi) and the medieval castle walls, is one of the earliest Mediterranean settlements.

Geometrically, geographically, and ecologically, Lezha is a marvelous kaleidoscope of nature, almost a unique ecological principality, where mountain, field, forest, archaeological and historical monuments, lagoon, and sea form a distinct unity.

Lezha is a permanent attraction and a vivid aesthetic of Illyrian-Albanian objects and civilization, a millennium-old station of special pleasures for travelers.

Inhabited by Illyrian populations since the 8th century BC, Lezha’s name, “Lisso” and “Lissus,” is thought to be a linguistic variation of the ancient Illyrian name “Lisi.” Lezha has hosted significant national political-cultural activities, such as the League of Princes (March 2, 1444) that founded the first state based on principalities, and the Arbër Assembly (January 14, 1703), initiated by the Albanian-origin Pope Clement XI.

In this city begins and ends the story of the national hero. The League of Princes and the burial place of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg are reasons for historical visits, where on January 17, 1468, in the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Lezha, the national hero Gjergj Kastriot – Skanderbeg was buried.

The mythological narrative of Lezha precedes its history full of various motives and contrasts. Notably, the Byzantine chronicler and scholar Anna Komnena in the 12th century called Lezha “a city raised in the air that can be seen from all sides.” Lezha stands high in its history, in the air of centuries, as if emerging from the poetic breaths of the poet Mjeda, who wrote marvelously and poetically about Lezha. In Lezha, metaphors of history surround you from all sides. Here lies the secret of survival.

Lezha offers everything. Here, the coastline intertwines with history, nature, and rich cuisine, making Lezha a year-round tourism destination.

You can enter the gates of Lezha without knocking, and the more you know it, the more enchanted you become.

Some of our suggestions:

1. Bird watching in the Kune-Vain lagoons. Three observation towers are built, one in Kune and two in Vain. They serve to explore the area and observe numerous birds.
2. Visit the Memorial dedicated to the national hero Gjergj Kastrioti and the site of the League of Lezha.
3. Visit the city’s castle, where you’ll find not only history but also a breathtaking view that penetrates deep into the sea, overlooking the river, lagoons, fields, mountains, and the entire city.
4. Visit numerous religious objects that, besides religious values, have architectural and historical significance. Some of them are unique (Saint Nicholas Cathedral in the city center, the city mosque, the Orthodox Church Metamorfoza at the city entrance, N’Sulti Teqe in Lezha Highlands, Saint Eufemia church in Kallmet, Saint Friday church in Balldre, etc.).
5. Mountain climbing on Rrenci (Shëngjin) or Vela Mountain, offering stunning natural landscapes throughout the journey, adorned with the sea’s blueness and extraordinary history.
6. Fishing in the sea or at the mouth of the Drin River.