Dibër County – Land of the Kastrioti and Skanderbeg
In the Middle Ages, Dibër was part of the Principality of Kastrioti, ruled by Gjon Kastrioti. After his death in 1437 the eastern region came under Ottoman rule, but his son Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg went on to reclaim his father's land and unite Albania in 1444. In the 15th century the region became a frontier between the Ottomans and the League of Lezhë. Human activity here goes back to the Neolithic, and the Illyrian Penestae left Bronze Age settlements. In the 19th century, the Congress of Dibër called for Albanian as an official language. Today the mountainous county, with Peshkopi as its capital, is known for valleys, canyons, glacial lakes and forests. Do you know more stories from Dibër? Share them here in Local History!