Via Egnatia

Historical

Via Egnatia is the historic Roman road that began at ancient Dyrrachium (modern Durrës) and served as one of the Roman Empire's principal east–west transportation routes across the Balkans.

City: Durrës
Address: Durrës Castle, Rruga Kont Urani, Durrës, Bashkia Durrës, Durrës County, Northern Albania, 2001, Albania
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Built in the 2nd century BC, it linked the Adriatic coast with Byzantium (later Constantinople), making Durrës a vital gateway for trade, military movement, and cultural exchange.

Connection with Durrës

The city of Durrës owed much of its prominence to being the western terminus of the road. Its busy harbor connected maritime traffic from Italy with the overland journey eastward, turning the city into one of the Roman Empire's most strategic ports in the Balkans. This role continued to influence Durrës throughout the Byzantine period and beyond.

Location

The address on Bulevardi Dyrrah lies within the modern city that marks the traditional starting point of the Via Egnatia. While the complete ancient roadway no longer survives in Durrës, the city serves as the symbolic beginning of the historic route. Better-preserved sections of the original Roman paving can be seen farther inland, particularly around Elbasan, where archaeological remains illustrate the road's original construction.

More to discover in Durrës

Historical

Durres Amphitheater

The most important archaeological monument of the city.

Historical

Archaeological Museum of Durres

The Archaeological Museum of Durrës is Albania's largest archaeological museum and is dedicated to preserving the history of the ancient city of Dyrrachium, today's Durrës.