On my way from Tirana to Vuthaj, I decided to stop in Shkodër for a few hours. I’d never really visited the city before, and I kept hearing people talk about the pedestrian street so I told myself, why not? If I’m passing through, I might as well see what it feels like.
It was Saturday, around 13:30, and the first thing I noticed was how alive the center was. There were people everywhere. The weather was hot, the kind of heat that makes you slow down without even realizing it. I walked into the pedestrian area, found a place to sit, and ordered something cold.
I went for a beer. It cost me €2.50, which honestly surprised me because it was only 0.5L. Still, I didn’t mind. I wasn’t sitting there just for the drink I was sitting there to look around and take in the city for the first time.
What Things Cost Me in Shkodër: Drinks, Shopping Deals, and a €40 Hotel
After that, I did a bit of shopping and got lucky. That day there were discounts, the kind where you feel like you’re winning without even trying. I bought three T-shirts for 1,500 lek, which is about €15. For me, that alone made the stop feel worth it.
But what really made me like Shkodër wasn’t the shopping it was the vibe. The city felt friendly. And something else stood out immediately: bicycles. I’ve been to many places, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people moving around on bikes in one city. It wasn’t just a few here and there it felt normal, like the whole place was built for it.
At that point, I changed my plan. Instead of continuing the same day, I decided to stay overnight.
I booked a room at Hotel Rozafa, right in the center. The staff were genuinely polite and welcoming no attitude, no complications, just easy. The room cost €40, and it included breakfast, which was perfect because I didn’t want to think about anything in the morning before continuing my trip.
Why the City Gets Quiet After 23:00 (And Where Locals Actually Go Instead)
That night I went out again, and the center was still full of life. There were lots of people outside, and in some spots you could hear live music. It had that summer-city energy where everyone is walking slowly, talking, laughing, just enjoying the evening.
But then something interesting happened.
Around 23:00, the center started to empty out quickly. Not completely dead, but you could feel a big shift—like the city was switching off earlier than I expected for a Saturday night. I asked a local why it got quiet so fast, and he smiled like it was a normal question tourists ask.
He told me the young people usually don’t stay in the center late they go to Shirokë or Velipojë instead, because the nightlife feels better there and they stay out longer, sometimes until morning.
And honestly, that explanation made perfect sense. Shkodër felt like a city that knows how to be lively, but also knows when to breathe and slow down. It doesn’t try too hard. It just moves naturally.
I didn’t plan to make Shkodër part of my trip, but I’m glad I did. Sometimes the best stops happen when you’re simply curious and you give a place one chance to surprise you.