Often known as Zog’s Villa of Durrës, The Royal Villa of Durrës is a historical building that served as the summer residence of King Zog. Built in 1937, it used to be the summer palace of the Albanian Royal family during the reign of the Monarchy and still remains a symbol of the Monarchy in the City.
After the fall of the monarchy, during Communist Albania, the Villa became a grand government reception building, hosting international guests such as Nikita Khrushchev, the Cambodian prince Samde Norodom Sihanuk and former US President Jimmy Carter.
The interior of the villa was vandalized during the 1997 unrest in Albania. Nowadays, the Villa is still in a poor state of repair.