Albania's fourth-largest city sits at the confluence of three rivers below Rozafa Castle, on the edge of the Balkans' largest lake and the usual gateway north into the Albanian Alps.
May-June or September, with warm days between roughly 19-31°C and less rain than the wetter autumn months (November averages the most rainfall of the year here).
Tavë krapi — carp from Lake Shkodra, marinated with onion, garlic, and tomato and baked in a clay tavë dish.
Shkoder's town center, within easy reach of the castle approach road and the bus connections north toward Theth.
Climb up to Rozafa Castle in the early morning — there's little shade on the approach, and the light over the lake and the three rivers is best before the midday heat sets in.
Read more in Albania: mosaic domes, alpine valleys & Ottoman old towns.
