Shkoder and Rozafa castle

Skhoder (also spelled as Shkodër or Shkodra) is a small city of 135000 inhabitants in northern Albania, located on the shore of lake Shkoder, not far from the border to Montenegro. The main reason to visit Shkoder is the neighbouring Rozafa fortress, but the city itself is a pleasant place where to break the journey between Tirana and Montenegro, having lunch and doing some shopping. Restaurants in Shkoder are much cheaper than restaurants in Montenegro.
Shkoder has been settled by the ancient Illyrian tribes of the Ardiaei and Labeates since the 4th century BC. Annexed by the Romans in 168 BC, it became later part of the Byzantine empire and then part of the Ottoman empire in the 15th centuty.
The hill of the Rozafa castle has been settled since antiquity, but the current structures date back to the Venetian period. The castle is accessible by a road open for cars, and near the entrance there is a parking for cars. Inside the castle there is a building which was converted into a mosque (the Fatih Sultan Mehmet mosque).
How to get to Shkoder
Currently Shkoder can only be reached by car or bus, as there is no train station and no airport.
Accommodation
There are countless hotels in and around Shkoder, all bookable via the international booking portals.