Free tour

🏛⏳️Discovering Durres: free tour (historical and cultural)

4.84

Excellent(221)

Durrës

Duration: 2 hours

Languages: English and Italian

Guru: Joana

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 20 July 2023

Hello everyone , I'm Joana, I was born in Durrës. I am a foreign language teacher with an experience of 15 years and as well I'm a licensed national tour guide. I love both my job immensely because I believe I have the right characteristics for teaching ,storytelling and interpreting my cultural heritage engagingly, to connect visitors with the place, and interaction with the group helps to build meanings and make sense of what is seen and observed. Fond of history, tradition, languages, and traveling. I am a cheerful, nice, down-to-earth, versatile, and sociable person who likes to share the history, culture, and traditions of her city.

Free reservation and cancellation

Pay-what-you-want tour, no set price, reservation and cancellation are free

Tour description

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Dear all !
This tour will last approximately 2 hours, depending on the number of walkers.
The tour will be divided into six main moments:

1) It starts at the Venetian Tower, one of the most interesting historical defensive structures in Durrës, as well as a starting point for local and international tourists visiting the city, and from there it will proceed to the other successive stops.

2) On the way to the Amphitheater, visitors cannot help but contemplate the Fortress Walls, built with ashlar stones that have managed to endure to this day. Those who have ruled the city over time have left their mark on the use given to the walls that surrounded it, as they were ultimately a security system that protected the city from various conquests throughout history.

3) Exterior cleaning and entrance to the Amphitheater:
Putting visitors in context about the history that led to the construction of the Roman amphitheater built during the period of the Roman Emperor Hadrian/Trajan.

4) A small leap to the small ancient chapel inside the amphitheater built around the 6th-10th century for the religious ceremonies of the Christians of Durres, which coincided with the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire.

5 ) A visit to the Forum Macellum (Byzantine Forum):
We will visit the archaeological site of the Byzantine Forum to take a walk through the heart of ancient Durres, a bridge between East and West, the city founded by the Greeks at the end of the 7th century BC, which was a prosperous Hellenistic and Roman city, Byzantine capital, and still a Venetian, Ottoman, and communist city.
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6) For a journey through time, to discover the history of the Roman Baths of Durres, another important cultural asset of Durrës, listed as a cultural monument, it is worth visiting and admiring one of the masterpieces of ancient engineering, places dedicated to body hygiene and mental refreshment from ancient Roman times ...... to today!

Discovering Durrës through the eyes of local guide Joana, where you will learn about the fusion of different cultures, different religions, and traditions that make this city a unique tourist destination.

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Veliera Square

I will be at Plaza Veliera (the convex dome) near the Venetian tower equipped with the tour guide insignia.

Outside visit

Venetian Tower of Durrës

Our tour starts at the Venetian tower,one of the most interesting historical defensive structures of Durrës. A part of the Byzantine fortress of Durrës (declared a monument of culture of the first category), which was considered one of the most powerful fortresses of the west coast of the Adriatic sea .

Outside visit

Sheshi Liria

Then continuing our promenade towards Liria square observing the most important landmarks of this square like the Municipallity, the Great Mosque, "Aleksander Moisiu "theatre.

Outside visit

Durrës Amphitheatre

Next stop on the list should be the Durrës Amphitheater, located near the city center. Constructed during the 2nd century A.D. under Roman Emperor Trajan’s rule. The Amphitheater ruins were discovered during the last century. Fortunately, excavations in the area continue to uncover significant traces for the history of the civilized world.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a fixed price. At the end, each person contributes to the guide the amount they consider fair based on their satisfaction. As a guideline, Guruwalk recommends between €15 and $50 per participant.