Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Durres

1128 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

4/5

Review type

Destination

Location

Date of travel

March, 2017

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

On your own

Reasons for trip

Durres is the second largest city in Albania and an important port on the Adriatic sea. The new promenade along the sea front is lined with 1990s high rise hotels and restaurants.

Most people however visit for the history. Durres was settled by the Illyrians in the C7th BC around a large natural harbour. The city thrived during Roman and Byzantine times. The city walls date from the Byzantine settlement in the C5th and C6th. They were further reinforced with towers in the C15th by the Venetians.

It’s fortunes waned during Ottoman times and by the end of the C19th it was just a small village. After Independence in 1912 it again became an important port.

Top of the list of sites to visit is the Roman Amphitheatre dating from C2nd and the largest in the Balkan peninsula, seating between 15,000 – 20,000 spectators. It fell out of use in the C4th. This could have been the result of damage from a major earthquake in 345/6 or a revulsion against blood sports and the expense of importing wild animals.

The site was only rediscovered in 1966 and has still only been partially excavated. Much of it is still covered by housing. It is quite exciting to visit as you really do get an impression of its size as well as the amount that is still lost and buried. However it is not a place to visit if you have serious mobility problems. There are steps and paths can be uneven and rough.

It was originally an elliptical shape with seating built up the sides of the hillside. It is constructed of alternate rows of bricks and stones bound by mortar (opus incertum) which was designed to resist earthquakes.

Steps near the ticket office lead into the vaults and underground passageways where the animals were kept. Further round is the Imperial Entrance where the aristocracy arrived in their carriageways. This is thought to extend into the centre of Durres.

The local Christian community took over the amphitheatre in Byzantine times and it became a Christian cemetery. A small chapel was built in the passageways for burial services This had a small baptismal well at the entrance. At one end is a small apse. On the back walls are remains of mosaics.

The history of Durres is told in the Archaeological Museum, a large modern building in the centre of the city, with some large pieces of carved masonry on display outside. Unfortunately photography is not allowed inside the building.

It is very attractive building with a tall “central atrium”:http://argophilia.com/albania/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/archeological-museum-durres.jpg with pillars and smaller display cases round the outside. The ground floor has Illyrian and Roman artefacts from the local area. In March 2017 work was still on going on the Byzantine display on the first floor. There were small labels at the top of each display case in Albanian and English. There were beautiful Illyrian vases including ‘red figure vases’. There were small statues, pottery, amphorae, jewellery, coins, oil lamps and Roman glass as well as small statues of Artemis from a local temple.

The museum is a manageable size and it is easy to see and enjoy all the exhibits without going into overload. My camera finger was twitching though. If you do want to take pictures of Illyrian and Roman pottery the small “museum”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/albania/day_five/five_five/index.html at Apolonia does allow photography.

There is a small shop selling a basic selection of books but no postcards – something we found throughout our trip.

There are more pictures of Durres “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/albania/day_one/index.html

We visited Durres as part of a eight day Classical Tour of Albania. All the information and pictures can be found “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/albania/index.html

ESW

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.