Erzen

The Erzen (Erzeni in Albanian) is a river in central Albania. Erzen is 109 km (68 mi) long, with a catchment area of 760 km2 (290 sq mi) that includes the southern Tirana District and the eastern Durrës District.

The river begins in the Mali me Gropa at 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) above sea level, about 25 kilometers (16 miles) east of Tirana near Shëngjergj, and flows northwest through Petrelë and Sukth to the Adriatic Sea 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) north of Durrës. Lake Farkë, Korrë, Lanë, Murdhar, Shtërmen, and Zhëllimë are all significant Erzen tributaries.

The river flows through Tirana, only a few kilometers from its southern terminus. Only a small range of hills separates the Erzen river valley from the Lana, Tirana, Zeza, and Tërkuza rivers, which form the Ishem river. The transition from the plane to the Erzen valley is barely discernible on the southwestern outskirts of Yzberisht. The mouth is located in Lalzi bay, between Durres and the headland of Cape Rodon. The average discharge rate at the mouth is 18.1 m3/s, and the maximum discharge rate for the year exceeds the minimum eleven times. Its drainage area, which includes the entire Tirana District and a portion of the Durres area, is approximately 700 square kilometers.

On Enver Hoxha's orders, all twenty-two victims of the 1951 massacre were apparently dumped into the river, only to be discovered later wrapped tightly in barbed tape.

Length: 109 km (68 mi)