Durres, Albania’s second largest city after the capital Tirana, is a coastal and tourist city located on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, approximately 30 kilometers from Tirana. One of the oldest settlements in the country, Durres dates back to the 7th century BC and has been home to many civilizations from Ancient Greece to Rome and the Ottoman Empire. Durrës is an important port city in terms of maritime trade in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, and the country’s gateway to Europe via Italian ports. It is one of the Founding Members of the B40 Balkan Cities Network.