41f97df141cda9c0adb8b38e2825dd2a56815a98b0f0756815a98b0f0a1.43298912.jpg

Petrela Castle

[ OVERVIEW ]

Petrelë Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Petrelës) is a castle in Petrelë, central Albania. Its history dates back to Justinian I. Petrelë Castle is situated at an altitude of 329 metres (1,079 ft).

The castle of Petrelë has a rich history, containing a tower which was built in the 6th century AD.

It is one of the tourist locations close to Tirana that attracts a great number of visitors. The Castle, the prominent wooden structure is a restaurant, is perched on a rocky hill, above the village with the same name. It has a triangular shape with two observation towers. Although it was first built in ancient times, the present building dates back to the 15th century.

The Petrela Castle was part of the signaling and defense system of the Kruja Castle. The castles signaled to each other by means of fires. During Skanderbeg’s fight against the Ottomans, the Petrela Castle used to be under the command of Mamica Kastrioti, Skanderbeg's sister. Today there is a restaurant inside the castle. The castle offers spectacular views of the Erzen valley, the hills, olive groves, and surrounding mountains.

Scenic view of a lush green valley with trees, houses, and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.
A rustic dining room with stone walls, wooden beams on the ceiling, and several tables covered with red and white striped tablecloths. There are multiple wooden chairs around each table, and windows with white curtains allowing natural light to fill the space.
Stone house with three small windows and wooden shutters, partially open, with lace curtains inside. Shadows of tree branches cast on the wall.
View of a historic stone castle with rounded towers on a grassy hillside, under a clear blue sky.
Yellow flowers in the foreground with a blurred stone house on a hillside in the background under a clear blue sky.
A stone castle wall with a wooden staircase leading to a door, a turret with a wooden structure on top, surrounded by greenery and a clear blue sky.
Stone staircase leading up to a wooden porch with a railing, lamp posts, and greenery on the sides under a clear blue sky.
Sunlight filters through the branches of an ancient, twisted olive tree growing on a rocky hillside.