Lezha is situated at an important intersection of roads in the north-west of Albanai 42 km from the capital city Tirana. Lezha is first mentioned in historical documents in the 4th cenruty BC as Lissus. According to ancient sources it was founded by the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse to secure Syracusan trade routes along the Adriatic. At a later time it came under Illyrian rule. Lissus knew its highest development in the second half of the 3th and 2nd century BC, when it minted its bronze coins. Under Roma rule it was part of the province of Illyricum.
Lezh롷as the site of the League of Lezh롩n 1444 where Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, the Albanian Nationa Hero, united the Albanian princes in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. Between 1478 and1912, Lezha was a typical town of the Western part of the Ottoman Empire. After the WWII the city increased in number and relied mainly on the light industry and agriculture.
Tourism
Castle
The Castle (started on the 4th century and ended on year 1521) is the most prominent monumental value of the city. It is regarded as the biggest in central Albania and a hallmark of the late Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman architecture. It rises on a top of a hill. In the interior of the castle, you can see ruins of Ottoman buildings, a garrison mosque and a limestone massif in the middle.
Memorial Monument to Skanderbeg
The Memorial Monument to Skanderbeg was built way up St. Nicholas Church in which Skanderbeg was buried in 1468. When Turks conquered Lezha they destroyed the grave of Skanderbeg and turned the church into a mosque. The Memorial Monument to Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg was built in 1981 to honour the League of Lezha, as well as to provide a burial-place to Skanderbeg. Inside the Memorial there is a bust of Skanderbeg along with a copy of his sword and helmet, and an array of shields with the emblems of the families that participated in the League of Lezha.
Monument to the League of Lezha
Downtown is home to a monument commemorating the important event that took place at Lezha on 2 March 1444. On this date, Skanderbeg gathered together the majority of Albanian feudal lords in this town for uniting them in the war against the Ottoman. This period marks the onset of Albanian organized resistance which succeeded for 25 years. The Monument dedicated to this important event was erected in 1968 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Skanderbeg’s death.
Sh쯧jin beach
Sh쯧jin is the beach town near Lezha. Nestled against black pines, the beach of Sh쯧jin stretches for entire kilometers south wise. Until 1990, the beach was open only to the top communist leaders. Dark sand is typical for this beach. The whole stretch of the beach is dotted by an endless number of bunkers, relics from the communist period. At the end of the straight road leading to the south, there is the Kune Lagoon. It is a nature monument very rich in fish and wild fowls. The Lagoon communicates with the sea through a canal. Further to the south of Kune Lagoon is a virgin island of Merxhan, an ideal location to go on vacations away from the noise typically characterising holiday beaches in high season.
How to get there
Lezha can be reached by air through Rinas Airport near Tirana (51 km) or Podgorica (Montenegro) from Hani i Hotit.
By sea, it can be reached through Durr쳠sea-port or Ulqin (Montenegro). If you travel by your own car from Montenegro you should drive through Shkodra. If you arrive from the south or south-east you should drive though Tirana. If you drive from east or north-east you can choose or Bulqiz뮋los-Burrel-Milot-Lezha or Kuk쳭 Fush롁rr캭 Puka-Vau i Dej쳭Bushat-Lezha. Lezha can be reached also by public transportation lines (buses or vans) from Tirana and Shkodra.
