The written documents and the archeological excavations, prove that the city of Durresi, the main center of the region with the same name, was founded in year 672 before new era. The city was built on the existing dwellings of the ancient Illyrians. Its special position as a linking bridge between East and West and as the crossroad of the maritime infrastructure gave to this area an important development and turned it into one of the regional centers of the biggest historical events of all the times. Thus, Durresi and the areas near it took part in history and made history themselves.
The territory of the Region of Durresi expands in that part of Albania, in which since antiquity up to now, without interruption is recorded the history of one of the oldest people of the Mediterranean. The underground and the land make evident the traces of the autochthon Illyrian, Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman cultures up to the modern ones. The underground and the surface of Durresi show clearly the glory, brightness and fall of the inhabitants of this area during different periods of history; they show its original culture and the strong relations with the cultures of the other people. Documents of the historians of every epoch speaking about the developments and great events of the people of the Adriatic and Ionian, do always mention the name of Durresi. Even a short visit in the city of Durresi will be a journey in the history of Albania. The visitor has the possibility to see one of the biggest amphitheatres of the Adriatic countries, Rotonda, Basilica, Mosaics, the Castle, the Venetian Tour, the Archeological Museum, the Ethnographic Museum,
But, it is not only the city of Durresi. Only 40 km towards the north of the city lead to Ishem, where in addition to the landscape, the visitor can also see the Basilica of Gjuricaj, the Church of Saint Ndou, the Castle of Ishem, the Castle of Skenderbej, the Cape of Rodon, etc. Getting to know the beauties of Ishem, the visitor will also see one of the most developed centers of the so called triangle of the civilization of the antique period. Less then 40 km towards the northeastern part lead you to the Castle of Zgërdhesh or according to the researchers, to the Albanopol, the main center of the Albans, the ancient Illyrians, the main center of the Albanians nowadays.
A bit more than 40 km far from Durresi lead towards the town of Kruja, at the main center of the Albanians of XV century. The name of this city is closely related to the name of Scanderbeg, the national hero of the Albanians. The castle of this town and the national museum that carry the name of Skenderbe, Old Bazaar
, and the rich ethnographic museum are a simple part of the traces in the history of the Region of Durresi.