Krujë is the most important town in Albanian national mythology. It was at the hilltop castle that Gjergj Kastrioti — known as Skanderbeg — held off Ottoman forces for over two decades in the mid-15th century, becoming the defining symbol of Albanian resistance. After his death in 1468, the castle fell within a decade, and the Ottomans occupied Albania for more than 400 years.
The castle houses the Skanderbeg Museum, a communist-era monument to the national hero that is worth seeing partly for its own dramatic architecture and partly for the collection of arms, flags, and documents. Inside the castle walls you can also visit the excellent Ethnographic Museum in an 18th-century Toptani house and the working Bektashi Dollma Tekke. The views from the castle walls over the valleys below are excellent.
Below the castle, the old bazaar (çarshi) is one of the most authentic traditional bazaars in Albania, with craftspeople selling antiques, carved wood, and traditional textiles. It is genuinely old rather than a reconstruction.
Krujë is an easy day trip from Tirana, about 32 km north. Most visitors combine it with a half-day. The road passes through the Dajti mountain foothills and the drive is pleasant.