Durres is one of the most accessible coastal city in Albania, where you can find a pleasant stay for a relatively low cost. The city is located less than an hour from Tirana and our Uber driver took us from our accommodation in the center of Tirana to the beach hotel for just 30 euros. Elsewhere, this amount is barely enough to travel between the airport and the city. Hotel prices are extremely reasonable, coupled with surprisingly good quality. The long coastal promenade is lined with excellent restaurants, whose offerings are more continental, and only a few places offer local specialties. Some parts of the coast are close to the standard that is common in Western Europe, Asia or the Caribbean, but in many places it is clear that the maintenance of the coast depends solely on the hotels of the given section, and where they do not feel that this is their responsibility, it is unfortunately neglected. There were places where pieces of concrete left over from the communist era blocked access to the water, with long strands of rusty iron piececes hanging out of them. But regardless of all this, there are sections along the several kilometer-long coast where you can enjoy the hot summer days in pleasant conditions.
Durrës is the oldest and one of the most important cities in Albania, with a history spanning nearly three thousand years. Its strategic location on the Adriatic coast made it not only a commercial center, but also the gateway to the Balkans, which is why the fate of many empires and nations, including the Hungarians, has been intertwined with it throughout history.
The city was founded in 627 BC by Greek settlers under the name Epidamnos. Later, after the Roman conquest, it was named Dyrrhachium, and this is when it became truly crucial: the famous Via Egnatia, the military and commercial road that connected Rome with Constantinople, started from here. One of the city’s main attractions, the amphitheater built in the 2nd century, dates back to this era, and is the largest such structure on the Balkan Peninsula and could accommodate up to 20,000 spectators.
During the Middle Ages, Durrës passed through the hands of the Byzantine Empire, the Republic of Venice, and the Anjou, before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in 1501. The city’s importance declined slightly at this time, but it regained a central role in the early 20th century, when Albania became independent: between 1914 and 1920, the city was the country’s first capital.
Durrës’s connection with Hungarian history is surprisingly deep and spans several centuries, especially through dynastic and diplomatic relations. In the 14th century, the Anjou rulers on the Hungarian throne, especially King Louis the Great, also laid claim to Albanian territories. Louis bore the title “Duke of Durazzo” through his family connections, and the Hungarian army visited the region several times to assert the crown’s influence in this part of the Adriatic. Several members of the Hungarian noble families were granted estates or positions here during this period.
The closest modern-day Hungarian connection is undoubtedly that of Countess Géraldine Apponyi, who married King Zog I of Albania in 1938. Géraldine, who was referred to as the “White Rose of Europe”, spent much of her time as queen in Durrës, at the royal summer residence (Vila e Zogut). This art deco style villa stands on a hill above the city, and although it is now in ruins, locals still remember the Hungarian-born queen with great respect, who did much to develop Albanian healthcare and education.
Mention should also be made of the adventurous Hungarian scientist Ferenc Báró Nopcsa, who in the early 20th century not only researched the geology and ethnography of Albania, but also took a political role in the country’s independence efforts. Nopcsa was so committed that at one point he even put himself forward as a candidate for the Albanian throne. His visits and research in Durrës are considered foundational works in Albanian history.
Today, Durrës is Albania’s most important port and one of its most popular seaside resorts. Walking through the city, you can see layers of the past at every turn: Byzantine bastions stand alongside Roman walls, a Venetian tower, and Ottoman relics hidden among modern buildings.
Among the naval events around Durrës (then known as Durazzo), one of the most dramatic and costly clashes of World War I was the Battle of Durazzo on 29 December 1915. This battle decimated one of the most modern units of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.
At the end of 1915, the Serbian army, after its defeats on land, tried to escape to the Adriatic coast through Albania in order to be rescued by the ships of the Entente. The aim of the Austro-Hungarian command was to disrupt this rescue operation and destroy the enemy transport ships and defenses stationed in the port of Durazzo.
The fastest and most modern units of the fleet were assigned to this task: the cruiser SMS Helgoland and five Tatra-class destroyers (Tatra, Balaton, Csepel, Lika and Triglav).
The attack started well: the convoy entered the bay of Durazzo at dawn, where they sank a Greek steamer and some smaller Italian units, and then began firing on the shore batteries. However, during the retreat, the destroyers ran into a previously unknown, deeply installed French minefield.
Disaster struck within minutes. First, the destroyer SMS Lika ran into a mine. The explosion hit the engine room, the ship immediately broke in two and began to sink. Most of the crew died in the explosion or during the rapid sinking. While the Triglav tried to help the Lika, she also ran into a mine. The ship was immobilized, but did not sink immediately.
The remaining ships (Csepel, Balaton and Helgoland) tried to tow the damaged Triglav, but in the meantime the superior Entente fleet (British, French and Italian cruisers) appeared on the horizon. The commander of the Austro-Hungarian force, Captain Seitz, was forced to make the difficult decision: Triglav had to be abandoned and sunk so that the other ships could use her speed to escape the blockade.
The Battle of Durazzo was one of the most serious defeats of the Austro-Hungarian Navy during the war, not because of the firefight, but because of an unfortunate mine strike. Two brand new, irreplaceable destroyers were lost, and more than 100 sailors among the crew died heroically.
However, even the enemy recognized the heroism of the sailors: the destroyers held out to the end, and the remaining ships only retreated towards Cattaro (Kotor) at the very last moment, against overwhelming odds. The wrecks of the two destroyers still lie in the depths of the waters off Durrës, serving as the burial place of the fallen Hungarian, Austrian, Croatian and Czech sailors.
The main memorial to the sailors in Durrës is located near the port, commemorating the victims of the naval battles of 1915 and 1918.
