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One of Albania's oldest cities, the country's main sea port, the second largest industrial
center after Tirana. Durrės (pronounced: Dooh-ras) lies on a small
peninsula on the coast of theAdriatic sea.Its population is around 150,000 (the second largest city in Albania).
Durrės was established in the year 627 B.C. by Korintha and Korkyra
colonists, on the area of an ancient settlement of the Illyrian tribe Taulant.
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Durres was for centuries the largest
port on the Adriatic, and the start of the
Via Egnatia to Constantinople.
Landings here by Italian troops in 1939 met brief
but fierce resistance, and those killed defending it are now
regarded as the first martyrs of the War of National Liberation.
Roman ruins and Byzantine fortifications embellish this major
industrial city and commercial port, Albania's second largest
city.
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A good place to start is the Archaeological Museum, which
faces the waterfront promenade near the port. Behind the museum are
the 6th century city walls, built after the Visigoth invasion
of 481 and supplemented by round Venetian Towers in the 14th
century.
The Roman Amphitheatre, built between the 1st and
2nd centuries AD is impressive, and stands on a hillside just inside
the walls.
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The former Palace of King Ahmet Zog stands to the
west of the amphitheatre, and in front of that is a statue of
Skėnderberg and, incongruously, huge radar disks set up by the
Italian army. When you're in the centre of town, don't miss the
Roman Baths behind the Aleksandėr Moisiu Theatre on
the central square. Durrės is 38km (23.5mi) west of Tirana, and is easily accessible
by rail. If you're coming from Italy there are direct ferries from
Trieste, Ancona and Bari, and there are also services from Koper in
Slovenia.
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Go back to :
Welcome to Albania
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