in Cities, Kruja, Shkoder, Things To Do

Petralba Castle, A king’s view over the Mat highlands [Mar 2026]

Albania’s national hero and unofficial king Skanderbeg chose this place as one of the residencies for his family.

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The villages Gur i Bardhe and Fshat are separated by a very distinct, steep mountain ridge, rising above the “Feri i Kolajve” gorge. From below it looks just like another bare, rocky slope, but once you get to the top, between shrubs and massive outcrops, remains of stone walls become visible. Once the spectacular 360° view over the Mat valley unfolds, one can easily understand why Albania’s national hero and unofficial king Skanderbeg chose this place as one of the residencies for his family.

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The Petralba castle is located at 778m altitude. Historiography connects the construction of the castle with the birth of feudal principalities in Albania in the XIII-XIV century. Some believe that this fortification has its beginnings in late antiquity, to be reinforced again in the XV century. The Illyrian fortress of Xiber is located nearby, both fortresses overlooking “Rruga e Arberit”, the ancient caravan route connecting Durres – Tirana Plain – Murrizi Pass – Diber to today’s North Macedoniaand beyond. To this day, no excavation work has taken place around both objects, yet, for the historical and archaeological values ​​that this castle preserves, in 1973 it received the status “Cultural Monument” of the 1st category.

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The Latin name Petralba translates into “White Stone”, which directly leads to today’s Gur i Bardhe (White Stone) village. To this day, the locals call the place “Peak of the city“, which leads to believe that the original city of Petralba (Gur i Bardhe) was in the lowlands of Mat. The inhabitants say that Gjon Kastriot‘s family lived in this city, and that his son, Albania’s national hero Skanderbeg, was born here. Marin Barleti, known as the first Albanian historian, wrote “This city in Mat was built on a mountain top, and besides famine, they don’t fear any inimical force”. He also wrote that Skanderbeg’s wife used to spend her summers and autumns in this castle.

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The site is easiest to reach from Fshat. Follow the unpaved road that connects the village center to the museum. At the base of the museum trail, the path continues on foot. After about 40 min uphill walking, remains of the fortress appear. There, you can enjoy the unbounded view over the Mat highlands.