Prezë Castle

Prezë Castle, locally known as Kalaja e Prezës, lies in the village of the same name, in the county of Tirana in Albania.

When Prezë Castle was built is not known. It was first mentioned in 1466 by a Venetian, who described it as being ruined. It is thought to have been abandoned during the reign of Gjon Kastrioti, an Albanian lord and father of Skanderbeg, who ruled between 1407 and 1437, alternately as an Ottoman vassal, ally of the Venetians and ally of the Despot of Serbia. Apparently the castle was never rebuilt.

After 1478 the gate building was turned into a mosque by the Ottomans. A function it still serves to this day. At some point in time, there was also a square clock tower built upon the ruin of a round corner tower in the east wall of the castle. This tower partially collapsed during the 2019 Albania earthquake, but was rebuilt in 2021.

Prezë Castle is freely accessible. A nice castle ruin. Part of the castle is now used as a restaurant.

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