Another Albanian site is set to join UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Kalaja e Bashtovës, or Bashtovë Castle, one of the most beautiful in Albania, has been undergoing restoration efforts as part of the EU4Culture project for several years.

Why is this relevant

The nomination of Kalaja e Bashtovës for UNESCO World Heritage status marks a significant step in preserving Albania’s cultural heritage and promoting international recognition of its historical significance. The ongoing restoration efforts are crucial in safeguarding this iconic site for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

Kalaja e Bashtovës is very well preserved and visited every year by significant numbers of visitors, but doe to the lack of restoration it has suffered from degradation. The Minister of Economy, Culture, and Innovation announced that architectural interventions are currently underway. These include the restoration and completion of its distinctive stone arches, repair of damaged walls, restoration of the stone staircases, and artistic lighting of the castle walls both internally and externally. Part of the intervention also involves installing metal parapets along the walls to ensure visitor safety and decorative metal structures on one of the towers, as well as restricting access to certain parts of the wall for safety reasons.

The castle was declared a Cultural Monument of the First Category in 1948 and has been on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage sites. The area where the castle is located served as a trading center for the Venetians. Later, during the Ottoman period the castle was transformed into a defensive port for coastal trade. The castle structure beautifully integrates Venetian and Ottoman architecture elements.

Located near the village of Vilë-Bashtovë, approximately 3 to 4 km north of the Shkumbin River estuary, the castle was first documented on a sea chart from 1521.