Shurdhah Island

A day trip southeast of the city is Lake Vau-Dejes, formed when the River Drin was dammed. In the summer you can catch a boat out to Shurdhah Island, almost 400 metres in length and covered with dense vegetation. Climb on shore for an small adventure, discovering the last remaining fragments of Sarda, an ancient city.

This was an Illyrian settlement, and later a Roman citadel. In medieval times it was a city famous for its 365 altars and being the seat of Bishops of Sarda and Sapa. Eventually the city was destroyed by the Ottomans, and when the dam was completed the ruins formed an island near the left bank of the Drin.