Vau i Dejës

Vau i Dejës, or Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipality in Shkodër County, northwestern Albania.

Understand
The town of Vau-Dejes traces its origins to the ancient settlement known as "Danja" dated on 1127. The castle grounds and the Church of St. Mark stand as ancient relics, among the oldest in the Balkans, boasting significant archaeological importance for scholars engaged in historical research today.

Vau i Dejes is closely linked to the historical narrative of the now-vanished city of Deja. Deja, also referred to as Danja, was a medieval Albanian enclave steeped in a captivating past. Emerging in the 11th and 12th centuries at the confluence of the Drini River and the surrounding highlands, Deja held strategic significance as a pivotal stopover for caravans traversing the customs routes of Vau i Dejës. By the early 13th century, it fell under the dominion of Serbian feudal lords, notably becoming a stronghold for the Zahariaj family. As the principality of Balshaj took shape, Deja became an integral part of its domain. In 1396, George II Balsha ceded control of the city to Venice. Subsequently, Deja witnessed a tumultuous period, alternating between Ottoman rule and brief interludes of liberation, notably during widespread anti-Ottoman uprisings in 1443. The city became a focal point of conflict between feudal lords N. Dukagjini and Leke Zaharia in 1445, leading to a series of violent clashes before ultimately reverting to Venetian control. Skanderbeg's impassioned appeal to Venice for control of Deja ignited a conflict that culminated in a protracted siege from 1447 to 1448, though the city remained impervious to capture. It wasn't until 1479, when the Ottomans recaptured Deja, that its fate was sealed. From that point onward, its fortunes waned irreversibly. Today, remnants of its storied past endure in the form of Deja Castle, where the dilapidated remains of a once-grand church stand as silent witnesses to its former glory

In 2015 it was formed the new Municipality of Vau i Dejës based on the local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bushat, Hajmel, Shllak, Temal, Vau i Dejës, and Vig-Mnellë.

Get in
You can get in to Vau i Dejës by bus from Puka, or Shëngjin. It is approxiately 15 minutes by car. Also from Shkodra you can go by bus.

Get around
Vau i Dejës has just about everything, calming lake panoramas, idyllic bucolic landscapes reminiscent of another time, fascinating culture, history, places of worship as well as contemporary and delicious food.

Go next
You can go next to Puka, Shëngjini, Lezha or Shkodra.