Rozafa Castle
Rozafa Castle
4.5
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  • John C
    164 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    After Lezhe Castle ( ruins) This is Brilliant
    Luckily we went to Lezhe Castle a few days ago, Good thing it wass not the other way round, Or i would have skipped it. To be fair, this castle is excellent, lots to see, But if you really want to get the whole story, i think you need to stay a bit longer and visit the Museum,,,, For us Lunch was calling. We were able to park close to the entrance,, 4 euros ea to get in. Lots of photo opportunities, well worth the visit,,, And Skip Lezhe !
    Visited July 2023
    Written 21 July 2023
  • duhoz
    Beroun, Czech Republic6,325 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Landmark of Shkodra
    nteresting fo see the Landmark of Shkodra sticking out of top of the hill 130 meters above sea level. From the castle you have excellent 360 degree vie over the city and landscape. Originally an Illyrian forth, its remains are mostly of Venetian construction. The leaflet given at the box office but some sine boards scattered around the ruins Life sized sculpture of Rozafa half buried in the wall can be seen in the castle museum where you can learn about the the story. Entrance 200 lek, unfortunately on our visit closed for unknown reason. There is a free parking close to the entrance about 10 min from the box office. The entrance fee 400 lek / 4€.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written 23 July 2023
  • JeroenKoot
    55 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Castle
    Probably the best Castle to visit in Albania. Big fortress upon a Hill. Great view of the surrounding area. Downside is the lack of parking-Spaces. Especially when it’s almost 40 degrees.
    Visited July 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 25 July 2023
  • T-SGlobetrotters
    Preston, United Kingdom2,954 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The best views of any castle we visited on our trip
    If travelling by car, access to the site can be slightly tricky. The narrow road up to the castle eventually reaches a small car park but this only holds 12 cars plus another four to six vehicles on areas just off the road on the way up. We arrived mid-morning to find the road at the bottom on the hill blocked with large tour buses but there was ample street parking available nearby and it is a 10 to 15 minute uphill walk to the top. Another problem with the car park is that it gets blocked by small mini buses in the morning and as there is nowhere to turn, this entails reversing back down the hill to the first bend. We concluded the bus blockage actually did us a favour. Once up there the entrance fee is 400 lek. We would recommend checking tickets, we were actually given student tickets priced at 120 lek despite handing over full price money. We pointed this out to the collector who then printed tickets with the correct price, presumably this is some form of scam. Once up there the castle is very good. Its position gives it marvellous 360° views, the best of any castle we visited in Albania. This is mainly the reason for visiting Roxafa. Most of the buildings are ruins from the Venetian and Ottoman periods although there is a restored building in the middle of the site which houses the historical museum (separate charge) which is worth a look. There is also a small cafe. Including the museum, we spent a couple of hours here.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 October 2023
  • Philipp R
    Karlsruhe, Germany74 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice castle overlook the city of Shkodër
    We actually liked it more than we expected! Not only the views from the castle to the surrounding city are nice, but also the castle itself. It’s in good shape and considering the surrounding city area, it’s really clean. The entrance fee of 400 Lekë for adults is fair. If you’re elderly or for any other reasons have problems with walking, just be aware that the floor is quite slippery and uneven in some parts. Btw we came here by taxi which cost us hefty 8 € after negotiation, which is why we decided to walk back to the city (about 4 km).
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 October 2023
  • Space0ne
    Toronto, Canada108 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth Visiting
    It was easy to get here by Taxi from the town in front of the tourist office, it drove up to the Castle. From the ticket office to the top is still a long uphill walk on river rocks. Once in the castle it’s easy walk with view of the lake etc. the little museum is really worth visiting, it opens at 10, the castle opens at 9. There is a small cafe and toilets. Try and get there early before the tours. Getting back from the castle is a long hike down. After waiting for a taxi, I offered to pay a tourist for a ride down in their car. They dropped us off at the circle and we walk back to our hotel, which was next to the tourist office. It’s a busy street with shops so the walk doesn’t seem that long.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 October 2023
  • Wander693552
    Pristina, Kosovo3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive, worth visiting
    Impressive, worth visiting, excellent view over Skodra, its surroundings and the lake. Very small parking at the castle, in busy periods road blocked by parked cars. Better park down and walk, around 7-8 minutes.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 23 February 2024
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Bob H
Watsonville, CA818 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021
You need good walking shoes to get around this place. Once, you get there. You have great views of Shkoder and Shkoder lake. There is a small restaurant if need to get a hot or cold drink. And there are bathrooms.
Written 17 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fresh pine
30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Solo
One of the biggest mountain top castles I visited. Easy way take taxi. Local way take the bus for thirty cents, ask tourist info or hotel desk for info. There is a cafe inside castle with great view, check it out and grab a drink.
Written 9 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sleepybexhill
Bexhill-on-Sea, UK1,561 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
Surprisingly large fortress with plenty to explore. I particularly liked the numerous cisterns as well as the views. It’s easy drive up to it. Once you hit the cobbled road continue up to the gate since there is a car park there. If full, there is another one further down the hill.
Written 6 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

atbacall
Andersonville, TN24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
The castle ruins are a must see if you are visiting the area! The views are unbelievable! Easy to picture how beautiful it must have been back in the early days!
Written 2 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WITY TRAVELS
179 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2021
we stopped at Rozafa Castle. The signs here are pretty clear, the only confusing part was the first sign on the main road. We are used to a road sign telling you that the next intersection is where you turn to visit a landmark. In this case, the sign was either made for pedestrians, or all Albanians knew to make a u-turn way down the road. Either way we did not walk too far past the entrance of the castle. As we made our slight backtrack, we walked down a side street parallel to the highway. There were some barking dogs inside of a fence attached to chains. These dogs looked like wolves and they could fit their bodies partially out of the metal bars. So that was frightening.

Slightly past that we saw another sign and knew we were back on track. The castle is on a hill, so it's quite a hike up to the entrance. Once we got up to the ticket booth we saw there were cars parked just outside. Walking from Shkodër was a better idea than trying to bike up the steep, stone path, it would have been very challenging. The entrance fee to get into Rozafa Castle was 400 Lek a person.

Once inside we were blown away by how huge this was. The castle takes up the entire hill top. There are some bigger openings in the castle wall to look down at the Buna River and the Drin River. There were smaller openings, I imagine, to look out for intruders while still being protected from a cannon ball or other weaponed attack.

Inside there are some signs and maps to show you what is inside of the castle. One of the main items is the church. It began as a Catholic Church when the Romans took over Albania, and then became a Mosque when the Ottoman Empire took over Albania. There was also a separate Roman and Ottoman jail. There were cisterns/wells and plenty of open space.
Written 25 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OxfordStrasser
Oxford128 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Proper castle with fantastic views towards Shkoder and over the river below. Easy to imagine it being well-defended.

Some restoration gone on but reasonably sympathetic. There's a good cafe at the back. Very pleasing cobbled walkway up to the castle. Some nice remnants of a mosque.
Written 2 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alicia33056
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Couples
Nothing much to see of a castle itself , mostly ruins, but a beautiful thing to see the whole Shkoder and the surrounding landscape from it. Great location on a hill with a magnificent view spreading all over. Ticket fee needed to enter in. Nice walk.
Written 16 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dev
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
From up here, you can see everything that visible down there! It's worth a visit both for the castle and the view.
Written 7 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

The World is My Oyster
Orlando, FL19,604 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020 • Couples
We drove all around the city, and this was the most spectacular views we had. The castle and ots walls go for what seems forever! It sits on the hills overlooking the city, mountain, and lake. Just stunning views, and really nice architecture!
Written 13 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julia Yam
41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Very beautiful, picturesque views 😍

Rozafa Castle have the best views on the city Shkodër, nice for taking awesome pictures 😁
My insta julyyam_
It costs 300 lek to get there
And at the entrance it was written that they work till 18:00 but we were going out of the castle at 19:00 and people still were getting in.
Written 23 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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