Bovilla Lake
& Kruja

Bovilla Lake & Kruja — Nature & History in One Day

A half-day tour combining two of Albania's most rewarding stops — both within easy reach of Tirana. First, the Bovilla Reservoir: a 4.6 km² emerald lake nestled inside Mount Dajt National Park, just 14 km northeast of the capital. Built with Italian support after the fall of communism and filled by 1998, Bovilla now supplies most of Tirana's drinking water — and offers some of the most dramatic mountain lake scenery in Albania.

Then north to Kruja — one of the most historically charged cities in the Balkans. In 1190, Kruja became the capital of the first Albanian state, the Principality of Arbër. But it is most famous as the stronghold of Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg), who recaptured it from the Ottomans in 1443 and defended it through three sieges until his death in 1468. The city sits between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, 20 km north of Tirana.

In Kruja we visit the Kruja Castle and the National Skanderbeg Museum inside it, the Old Bazaar (one of Albania's finest), and enjoy lunch at Restaurant Panorama with its extraordinary view over the city and plains below. Don't miss Kabuni — the traditional Albanian dessert of rice fried in butter with raisins, cinnamon, and cloves, served cold.

What You'll Experience

Your Day, Step by Step

Getting There

Both stops are close to Tirana. Bovilla Lake is just 14 km northeast of the city inside Mount Dajt National Park. Kruja is 20 km north. The entire tour stays within 35 km of Tirana.

What's in Your Tour

What Travelers Say

You Might Also Like

Trip in Berat

from €55/person

Trip in Tirana

from €55/person

Trip in Shkoder

from €55/person