Velipoja is situated on the estuary of the River Buna (the only navigable river of Albania), where it flows into the Adriatic Sea while making border withMontenegro. The Commune (i.e. the administrative unit) of Velipoja has a population of around 10,000, spread over several small settlements, the largest of which is the town of Velipoja itself.

Its economy is based on agriculture (arable land and livestock, sheep andcattle), some fishing, and chiefly tourism. The scenery is largely unspoilt: a mixture of sea-coast, river estuary, heathland, thick pine woods, farmland, and high mountains. It has been remarked by visitors that the heathland to the north of Velipoja is very reminiscent of Scottish scenery. A nature reserve lies within the commune. The area is a prime site for birdwatching, game shooting and fishing. A long, sandy beach with a seaside promenade is a popular attraction in summer.

In recent years, several projects have been instituted with the aim of conserving the environment (including the marine life of the Buna) and the encouragement of ecological tourism. There have also been recent efforts to develop fish farming. The area has many small hotels and guest houses. There is a market, where local farmers sell their produce. In the commune, there is a church-sponsored kindergarten, several primary schools, two secondary schools, and one gymnasium. There is also a small theatre and a thriving local football team, KS Ada Velipojë and ground.

History and traditions

Historically not a wealthy area, and like the rest of the country subject to much emigration, Velipoja has recently begun to expand as a tourist resort, favoured especially by the inhabitants of Shkodër, the chief city of northern Albania, which lies about 30 km (19 mi) distant inland.

Rozafa castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Rozafës) is a castle near the city of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania. It rises imposingly on a rocky hill, 130 metres above sea level, surrounded by the Bojana and Drin rivers. Shkodër is the capital of the District of Shkodër, and is one of Albania's oldest and most historic towns, as well as an important cultural and economic centre.

History

Due to its strategic location, the hill has been settled since antiquity. It was an Illyrian stronghold until it was captured by the Romans in 167 BC.^[1] The 19th-century German author and explorer Johann Georg von Hahnsuggested that the ancient and medieval city of Shkodër was located immediately south of the Rozafa hill, between the hill and the confluence of Buna and Drin. The fortifications, as they have been preserved to date, are mostly of Venetian origin. The castle has been the site of several famous sieges, including the siege of Shkodra by the Ottomans in 1478 and the siege of Shkodra by the Montenegrins in 1912. The castle and its surroundings form an Archaeological Park of Albania.

Shkodër (definite Albanian form: Shkodra Macedonian: Скадар) is a city and municipality in northwestern Albaniaand the seat of the county with the same name. It is one of the oldest and most historic places in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre.

During many different epochs it has retained its status as a major city in the Western Balkans, due to its geostrategic positioning close to the Adriatic and the Italian ports, but also with land-routes to other important cities and towns in neighbouring regions.

The present municipality, which now extends from the Albanian Alps to the Adriatic Sea, was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Ana e Malit, Bërdicë, Dajç, Guri i Zi, Postribë,Pult, Rrethinat, Shalë, Shkodër, Shosh and Velipojë, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the city Shkodër.

Shkodra,the city of bicycles.

Shkodra, Northern Albania (114.000 inhabitants), is renowned for its cycling tradition in Albania and in Southeast Europe. Its modal split is special: 29%¨cycling share, 44% walking and 3% public transport. There’s gender equity in cycling and cycle use is wide spread and popular over all ages. The cycling culture is well alive still and Shkodra is said to be a live laboratory for ‘shared space’ with mutual respect between road users. Needless to say that growing traffic levels are gradually posing a threat on the shared space and some cyclists are expressing their uncertainty in traffic. Modernization of roads , canalization and a first pedestrianisation scheme has been, for obvious reasons, the priority in the city’s development so far.