Durrës (historically known as Epidamnos and Dyrrachium), is the second most populous city in the Republic of Albania. The city is the capital of the surrounding Durrës County, one of 12 constituent counties of the country. By air, it is 165 kilometres (103 miles) northwest of Sarandë, 31 kilometres (19 miles) west of Tirana, 83 kilometres (52 miles) south of Shkodër and 579 kilometres (360 miles) east of Rome. Founded on the coast of the Illyrian Taulantii ,around the 7th century BC, the city essentially developed to become significant as it became an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire. The Via Egnatia, the continuation of the Via Appia, started in the city and led across the interior of the Balkan Peninsula to Constantinople in the east.

Located on the Adriatic Sea, it is the country's most ancient economic and historic center.

The city faces 3 major challenges: water, land and air pollution, lack of urbanistic plan which can better allocate resources to the people in order to tackle overpopulation and traffic congestion.