City Sightseeing and Top Things to Do in Durrës, Albania

October 9, 2020 Mustafa Natalwala 6749 Views

Durrës is located on western bank of Albania facing the Adriatic Sea and Italy on the other side of it. The most popular places to visit in Durrës are the beaches. The most popular is the city’s eponymous Durrës beach. It is usually the first place tourists visit once they reach the city and sometimes the only attraction they visit on Durrës travel. It has all the usual fun activities and leisure you can expect from a beach. Though, it remains jam packed with tourists during summer. If you are looking for a beach which is a little less crowded, yet offers all the fun of Durrës beach, then head to Spille Beach.

Though there are historical tourist attractions in Durrës as well. Among the most well known Durrës attractions to visit in the city is the ancient Roman Amphitheatre built way back in 100 A.D. The theatre in its prime could facilitate more than twenty thousand people. There are modern houses surrounding this Durres tourist attraction, but it still retains some of its glamour.

Another major historical attraction to explore when you visit Durrës is the Venetian tower. It used to be a castle, but the tower is the only reminiscent of it still standing. It was built by byzantine emperor Anastasius the first. As for the things to see in Durres connected with Albanian Royalty, you can visit the Royal Villa built by King Zog the first. If you want a tour further back in the history of the city and the region, you can visit Durrës Archeological Museum. You can artifacts from various cultures and civilizations which once walked the region. It is an interesting place to visit in Durrës for those who admire art, sculpture and history. While on the subject of Archeology, you can also check out the remains of Byzantine Forum.

While there are not many places to visit in Durrës, you can still spend one or two days exploring the city and its beaches.

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Table of Contents

Explore the Top Tourist Attractions in Durres in 1 Day ( A 1 Day Itinerary)

1. Royal Villa

This Venetian style villa used to be home to Albanian Royalty. There is not much to see inside the villa, so you can be in and out in 30 minutes after exploring this Durres tourist attraction.

2. Durres Castle

The castle as discussed above is one tower which remains the only part of the castle which used to be. Again you won’t need more than half an hour here as there are not many things to see in Durres Castle.

3. Amphitheater

The roman architectures amphitheater is an artifact of the days of the roman and byzantine rule over the region. This Durres attraction would only take 30 to 45 minutes of your time and you can move on to the next one.

4. Durres Archeological Museum

You can see paintings, sculptures and artifacts from illyrian, roman, ottoman and byzantine cultures which once ruled the region at this museum. You should keep aside at least an hour and a half from Durres sightseeing for the Archeological Museum.

5. Rodoni Castle

Rodoni Castle or Castle of Rodon is located at the Cape of Rodoni. Both the cape and the castle are among the most beautiful things to see in Durres. You will need at least an hour to explore this location during Durres travel.

6. Beach of Durres

Finally, you can hit the beach and enjoy the leisure of the sun, the sand and the ocean. You can also indulge in water sports at the beach if you so wish or enjoy food and drinks there. We have mentioned beach of Durres, because it is the most popular choice, but you can pick any of the pristine and beautiful beaches to enjoy. You will find the complete list in the article below.

If you are planning more than a day trip, then you can check out some of the other interesting things to in Durres as you read this article.

Things to do in Durres

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Durres

Durres Amphitheatre
Rodoni Castle
Durres Castle
Archeological Museum of Durres
Venetian Tower
Faith Mosque
Byzantine Forum Archeological Site
Royal Villa of Durres
Xhamia Durres Mosque
Shatervani Fountain

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Durres

Kodra e Robit Mountain Peak

Shopping in Durres

Flagship Center
Gold Center
Qendra Tregtare VIVA

Beaches & Islands in Durres

Beach of Durres
Cape of Rodon
Plazhi I Golemit Beach
Cliff of Kavaja
Plazhi I Currilave
Beach of Golem
Kepi I Bishti I Palles
General’s beach
West End Beach
Lalzit Bay beach

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure in Durres

Water Sports

Sightseeing in Durres

Vollga Promenade
Ventus harbor

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Durres

Vertigo
Fiore
Charlie Max Marina
Kodra e Kuajve
Piazza
Sema
Picante
Kallmi Bukur
Rifat Peshkatari
Piceri
Gogo
Rimini
Apollonia
Fly Restaurant
Kitarrat
Portiku
Monun
Aragosta
Fresh Fish

Where to Stay in Durres?

Here we have listed Top Rated Hotels in Durres. We have categorise top rated hotels in luxurious, mid-range and budget category. Below you can check hotels for your stay in Durres.

Luxurious Hotels

Mid-Range Hotels

Budget Hotels

Custom Tours Package in Durres

How to Reach Durres?

By Air

The nearest airport for Durrës travel is Tirana International Airport. You will need to hop on a bus from Tirana city to visit Durrës.

By Road

You will get a bus every 30 minutes leaving from Tirana for Durrës travel. You can purchase the ticket on the bus itself. You can also get a bus to visit Durrës from Kosovo and North Macedonia. Though most of these buses only run during tourist seasons. There are also fixed tour buses for things to do in Durrës, Albania which cover back and forth journey.

If you are planning to reach Durrës by road, then take route SH2 or SH4. Both these route connect with the city from east and south respectively.

By Water

You can get boat trip to visit Durrës from Bari, Ancona and Trieste in Italy. Do note the boat rides are quite expensive and the journey across the Adriatic Sea is time consuming. People do this as a fun experience among things to do in Durrës, Albania.

Image Reference

Royal Villa – Andis Rado / Wikimedia Commons
Durres Castle – Pudelek / Wikimedia Commons
Amphitheater – Jed Horne / Flickr
Durres Archeological Museum – Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons
Rodoni Castle – Pasztilla aka Attila Terbócs / Wikimedia Commons
Beach of Durres – Pudelek / Wikimedia Commons