The port city of Durrës is on the Adriatic coast just 23 miles west of the capital, Tirana. It is a fascinating place to visit. The city can trace its history back 2,500 years. Walk for less than a mile and you will see a Roman amphitheatre, a Byzantine chapel, an Illyrian city wall, a Venetian tower and a Soviet war memorial. My Durrës in 1 Day itinerary covers all the above and more, ending with time to relax at the beach.
How to get to Durrës
We drove to Durrës from Tirana as part of our Balkan road trip. It’s an easy drive, straight down the motorway (SH2) and can be done in less than an hour. Note: The SH2 ends at a roundabout near Durrës Port. Count the exits carefully or you could end up in the queue for the ferry to Italy! There are also regular (approximately hourly) buses between Tirana and Durrës, although you may have to change at Tirana Airport.
Getting around Durrës
The main attractions in Durrës are close together and best visited on foot. If you are driving, there is a free car park just south of the Venetian Tower. If you arrive by bus, the bus terminal is less than amile from most of the attractions listed. The total distance walked in my itinerary is around two miles.
Where to Stay in Durrës
We stopped here for a few hours en route north to Shkodër. Durrës is also a popular day trip from Tirana. I don’t usually recommend hotels I haven’t stayed at, so if you do decide to stay longer in Durrës, check out the best options on Booking.com.
Durrës in 1 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Drive to Durrës Durrës Archaeological Museum Vollga Promenade Soviet War Memorial Venetian Tower City Walls Durrës Amphitheatre Byzantine Temple Pista E Re Bridge Picnic on Durrës Beach Zog’s Villa |
Drive to Durrës
We started by heading west to the port city of Durrës. It’s an easy 40 minute drive along the motorway, complicated only by the fact that we mistook the port entry for the road into town and had to either reverse onto a roundabout or catch a ferry to Italy. Luckily, Albanian drivers are crazy and reversing onto a roundabout is a perfectly acceptable manoeuvre!
Durrës Archaeological Museum
We chose to start our day of sightseeing at one of to city’s top attractions; Durrës Archaeological Museum.
The museum contains a collection of artifacts, from Greek to Roman, discovered in the region.
Note: The Archaeological Museum is temporarily closed for renovation.
Vollga Promenade
In front of the museum, and running along the seafront for the length of the city, is Vollga Promenade; a popular place to take a stroll. It is lined with parks and public art, hotels, cafes, restaurants, discos and fairground rides.
Soviet War Memorial
On the promenade is the enormous Soviet War Memorial. The Russians liberated Albania from Fascist Italy, before having a bash at occupying it themselves.
Venetian Tower
The Venetian Tower was an extension of the 5th Century Byzantine fortress. Now it sits alone in a bend in the road.
Shortly after we visited, the tower was damaged by an earthquake and is currently undergoing restoration. It is planned to reopen the tower as a digital heritage interpretation centre.
City Walls
Sections of the original City Walls still remain intact and you can see them along the road as you make your way towards the amphitheatre.
Durrës Amphitheatre
Follow the City Walls for around 400 metres and you will reach Durrës Amphitheatre. The 2nd Century Roman amphitheatre now sits rather incongruously surrounded by modern houses.
The amphitheatre is open daily from 9 am until 7 pm and costs 300 lekë to visit.
Byzantine Temple
Also with in the amphitheatre complex is a Byzantine Temple with much of its intricate mosaic work still intact.
Pista e Re Bridge
Head back towards the seafront and the Pista e Re Bridge. This interesting archaeological structure juts out into the bay, with a number of restaurants at one end and a hotel (The Ventus Harbor) at the end of it.
Picnic on Durrës Beach
There are plenty of dining options in Durrës, but we visited on a beautiful sunny day, so purchased provisions from a nearby supermarket for a picnic overlooking Durrës Beach. With its sandy beach which stretches for over six miles along the city’s waterfront, Durrës is a popular destination for a visit to the seaside.
Zog’s Villa
Perched on the hillside overlooking the city and the Adriatic Sea is Zog’s Villa. This once grand building served as the summer residence of King Zog, who ruled Albania from 1925 until 1939 (first, as President, until 1928, when he crowned himself King). It is not possible to visit the villa, which was ransacked during political unrest in the 1990s, but you can admire its exterior and its stunning views. We made do with viewing the villa from the city, before setting off along the motorway to Shkodër.
- Trip taken: September 2018
- Updated: January 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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