Top to bottom, left to right: View of Pogradec fromPogradec Castle, Statue Playing Flute, Old town of Pogradec with St. Mary's Albanian Orthodox Church, Resurrection Orthodox Cathedral, Villa Sigal in Reshit Çollaku Street.
Pogradec (Albanian pronunciation:[pɔɡɾaˈdɛt͡s],) is theeleventh most populous city inAlbania and the capital of the eponymous municipality. It is located on anarrow plain between two mountain chains along the southwestern banks of theLake of Ohrid. Its climate is profoundly influenced by a seasonalMediterranean andcontinental climate. The total municipal population is 46,070, of which 17,371 is in the municipal unit as of the 2023 census.[2]
The name of the town isEastern South Slavic in origin.[7] Pogradec comes fromPo(d) (under/beneath) andGradec (town, city, castle or fortified settlement) and means literally "under the city". This is a reference to theancient Illyrian settlement, which was situated on a hill above the contemporary region of Pogradec. In the medieval period during the Ottoman occupation, the town was known as İstarova or İstarye duringOttoman rule and was bounded to askaza center inGörice Sanjak ofManastır Vilayet beforeBalkan Wars.[8][9]
From the 8th until the 14th century, Pogradec area was captured by various medieval states such as theBulgarian,Byzantine andSerbian Empires as well as by noble Albanian families such asGropa. It was most likely during the Bulgarian empires rule in Pogradec is when it gained its modern name. In the middle of 15th century the area became part of theLeague of Lezhë and afterSkanderbeg's death in 1468, it was invaded by theOttomans who kept it untilAlbania's Independence in 1912. During their occupation Pogradec was the center of thekaza of Starova and was developed as a small town of craftsmen and fishermen. When the Turkish travelerEvliya Celebi visited the area in 1662 he wrote that "Pogradec was a sweet city with red roofs, four neighborhoods, four mosques, two elementary schools, six hundred houses and one hundred and fifty shops".
During the second half of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, Pogradec area played an important role in theAlbanian National Renaissance. On 14 March 1887 the second Albanian language school was started here.
Pogradec along Lake Ohrid
DuringWWI Pogradec became a battlefield divided between the enemy fronts. From 1914 until 1920Austro-Hungarian,Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian and French armies, captured the city replacing each-other from time to time.
DuringWWII the city was first invaded by the Italian army on 12 April 1939. Italian occupation of Pogradec was interrupted due toGreco-Italian War and Greek troopsoccupied the city between 30 November 1940 and 14 April 1941. After Italy'scapitulation in 1943 it was liberated by theAlbanian partisans.
After the war the town was a favorite summer escape for many communist government officials and particularlyEnver Hoxha. The summer residences and the area around them were sealed off from the public.
The climate of the Lake Ohrid is classified as a local-continental type because of a microclimate that is created in that area influenced byMediterranean climate. The average annual rainfall in the Lake basin amount to approximately 730 mm.
Pogradec is located about 139 km fromTirana, the capital city ofAlbania, 40 km fromKorça, and 5 km fromNorth Macedonia.Pogradec is the last railway station:Tirana -Durrës -Elbasan -Librazhd - Pogradec and located along SH3 road that passes throughDevoll and continues to Greece.However, the train service now finishes at Elbasan, and parts of the line from there on are derelict. There are some proposals to revive the line and extend it to connect to the Greek railway network.Translake transport started on 15 June 2014 with a tourist ferry between Pogradec andOhrid, but the service is sporadic and unreliable.
Writer Lasgush Poradeci's Statue in PogradecThe main street of Pogradec
Pogradec is well known for its famous writers and poets such asLasgush Poradeci andMitrush Kuteli, and latelyLuan Starova. Their works are a crucial part of Albanian literature.
The main characters of Luan Starova's cycle of novels, "The Balkan Saga", are the author's own parents and their family, who fled Pogradec for Macedonia during World War II. Separated from their old hometown and their relatives by the Albania-Yugoslavia border during theEnver Hoxha's era, they would often look at Pogradec through a binocular from the vantage point ofMonastery of Saint Naum on the other side of the lake.[15]
Pogradec is also the home of nationally and internationally acclaimed artist painters like Anastas Kostandini(Taso), Gjergji Lako, Gentian Zeka, Vangjo Vasili, Odhisea Dhima, Ilir Dhima, etc. All kinds of sports are practiced in town, especially by the youth.
Pogradec has a professional football team calledKS Pogradeci. There are several varsity soccer teams mainly composed of high school students. Evenvolleyball andbasketball are played competitively. During the summer, beach volleyball draws the attention of all the residents. Many professional volleyball teams fromAlbania and other Balkan countries participate in a championship which lasts about two weeks. Pogradeci team has been awarded the first prize several times. Other sports to mention areswimming andboxing. The boxing team, "Dragoi", is one of the top teams in the nation and has always trained champions.
Pogradec also has a rich folklore. Many songs and dances have been created throughout the centuries. Their themes are based on the beauty of the lake and a love for nature.
Some of the main recurring cultural events in the city are:
"Puppet Theater Festival" - Takes place every June. Participants vary from national to European level.
"Lake Day" - Takes place in 21 June. All the towns surrounding lake Ohrid (Pogradec, Ohrid and Struga) gather in a festival where local delicacies, including food and culture are showcased.
Mosque of Pogradec
"Balkan Film Food Festival" - Takes place in September. Balkan movies, documentaries and culinary are showcased throughout the days of the festival.
"Wine Fest" - Takes place in December. Pogradec families compete together for the best homemade wine in the city. The days of the festival are accompanied by great food and live music.
Drilon Park in PogradecLin village north of PogradecOrthodox Church
Pogradec area is very rich in cultural and natural monuments among which can be mentioned
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