Zëmçë Castle
Fshati: Zëmçë, Njësia Administrative: Trebinjë, Bashkia: Pogradec
Zëmçë Castle stands opposite Slabinjë Castle, on the other bank of the Shkumbin, very close to where this river meets the Trebinjë river. It rises on the top of a hill near the village of Zëmçë in the Mokra area. It is a simple, small castle whose encircling wall was made of small stones bound with mortar. Because the wall has been almost completely levelled, the castle's layout can no longer be traced; however, thanks to the little pottery found on the surface, it can be dated to Late Antiquity. Zëmçë Castle appears to have been built at the same time as Slabinjë Castle, as part of the fortification of the most strategic defensive points in the territory of the Byzantine Empire, which was under attack from barbarian tribes at that time.
Monument record
- Ownership
- State-owned
- Current use
- Cultural site
- Original use
- Fortified settlement
- Dating
- 5th–6th century AD
- Declared a monument
- Ministry of Education and Culture, Decision no. 1886, dated 10/06/1973
- Monument category
- I – First
- Current condition
- Dense vegetation across the area of the ancient fortification and the complete levelling of its walls make it very difficult to make out with the naked eye above ground.
- Distance from Pogradec city centre
- 48.5 km to the west.
How to get there
Only 4x4 vehicles are recommended; they can take you all the way to the destination. The climb from the foot of the hill up to the fortified settlement is made on foot.
What it offers
- Cultural Monument
