Lezhë

Lezhë, also written Lezhë or Lezha, is a city and municipality in northwestern Albania. It is the seat of Lezhë County and lies on the Adriatic coast near the mouth of the Drin river. The area features a long urban history, with roots tracing back to Illyrian settlements that later became a Roman town.

In the Middle Ages the site grew around Kalaja e Lezhës, a fortress that remains a historical landmark. In 1444 the Assembly of Lezhë, led by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, coordinated Albanian resistance against the Ottoman expansion, an event widely remembered in Albanian history.

Under Venetian and Ottoman rule the town developed as a regional hub. In the modern era Lezhë is the administrative center of Lezhë County and forms a municipality that includes the town of Lezhë and surrounding villages. The local economy is based on agriculture—particularly cereal crops and olives—fishing from the coast and nearby waters, and light industry and services serving the surrounding rural area.

Cultural sites include the Lezhë Fortress and monuments commemorating Skanderbeg. The city is connected by regional road networks to other urban centers of Albania and serves as a commercial and transportation link in the coastal northwest.