Things to Do in Skadar with Kids

During a family trip to Albania, we spent only a few hours with kids in Skadar (Shkodër). Of course, it wasn’t enough to see all its natural and cultural beauties, but we had a relaxing walk through the city center and heard a sad story that will stay in our minds forever.

Family oriented city

Everyone sees what they want to see. The first thing we noticed in Skadar was that almost every cafe or restaurant has some children area. It wasn’t fata morgana, Albanian are very family oriented people.

Restaurant with playground in city center

Scadar has a number of beautifully landscaped parks, with flowers, sculptures, fountains and children’s facilities.

Skanderbeg Boulevard

The main street in Skadar (Skenderbeg Boulevard) looks very cheerful and colorful, decorated with butterflies and flowers. My daughter has a strange disorder. Climbing on all the lamps and trees on her way. It seems that the role model in our family are not parents. It must be a cat.

Children are born to climb

Rozafa Castle

The main attraction in Skadar is the Castle of Rozafa, one of the most important historical monuments in Albania. The castle and walls are very well preserved, but that wouldn’t mean much if there is no amazing legend of Rozafa, the woman buried in the walls of Castle. Three brothers worked all day to build the castle, but the walls fell down at night. They got the advice of a wise old man to set someone alive on the walls during the night to calm the demolitions who ruin the building. The brothers decided to sacrifice the wife that came on the following day to bring them lunch. Two older brothers warned their wives, so Rozafa, the wife of the youngest brother, was sacrificed and buried in the wall of the castle so that they could finish building it. She was worried about her newborn son so she asked them to build a small hole in the wall to breastfeed her baby. Rozafina fountain, the hole from which water flows, is still visible today at the entrance gate of the fortress. This became the place of pregnancy pilgrimage. This legend is well known in the Balkans, thanks to the works of famous writers, such as Ismail Kadare (Bridge of Three Harbors) and Ivo Andric (The bridge on the Drina) but it is not a story for children’s ears. The legend is deeply sad, bud the view over lake and Skadar is nice.