Vorë

Vorë (Vora) is a municipality in Tirana County, central Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bërxullë, Prezë and Vorë, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Vorë. The total population is 25,511 ( census), in a total area of 82.76 km2. The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 10,901.

History


There is a medieval castle in the constituent village of Prezë.

Gërdec explosions
The municipality of Vorë includes the small village of Gerdec. In the Albanian Armed Forces' munition store in this settlement, an accident occurred on 15 March 2008, which caused a series of large explosions, lasting for several hours. As a result of these explosions, 26 people died and several hundred were injured. Several hundred houses and two small villages were completely destroyed and 1,500 buildings were damaged.

2020 earthquake
On January 28, 2020, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 12 km northwest of Vorë. The official time of the earthquake was 20:48:05 (UTC).

Economy
The area's economy is positively affected by the large number of nearby offices and the proximity of Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza. There is a lot of agriculture but also factories, such as the Coca-Cola Bottling Shqipëria, and consumer services. The town is located on National Road 2, between Tirana and Durrës, to the west of the capital. It is part of the Tirana-Durrës metropolitan region - industrial and commercial facilities extend along the motorway almost all the way from Tirana to Vorë. Many people who have moved from the countryside to urban areas have settled in places like Vorë or Kamëz. However, these migrants prefer places which lie closer to Tirana and, as a result, other satellite settlements have grown much more rapidly in recent years.

Transportation
Vorë is an important transport hub for Central Albania. It lies in the middle of the long range of hills known as the Kodra e Gjatë which separates the Plain of Tirana from the plains running along the Erzen and surrounding Durrës to the west. Vorë is located in a pass, not more than 60 m high, which cuts through the Kodra e Gjatë range. Railways, motorways, country roads, and overhead power lines are all routed through this pass. Previously there was a canal as well. The roads from Durrës and the railways run by Hekurudha Shqiptare go on from Vorë through Fushë-Krujë to the northern part of the country and onwards to Tirana in the east. Trains from Tirana to Shkodër have to change locomotive at the Vorë station.

Sport
Vorë has a soccer team in the Albanian First Division known as FK Vora. The playing grounds are at Fusha Sportive Vorë with a capacity of 1,000 spectators.

Villages
Villages within the municipality include Ahmetaq, Bërxullë, Breg-Shkozë, Domje, Fushë-Prezë, Gërdec, Gjeç-Kodër, Gjokaj, Kuç, Marikaj, Marqinet, Muçaj, Ndërmjetës, Palaq, Picar, Prezë, Shargë, and Rinas.