In Northern Albania, after Durrës, the second largest was Shkodër, which was surrounded by a number of smaller cities like Bar, Ulcinj, Šas, Balec, Sepa and Lezhë.
Following the fall of Durrës, from the beginning of the 15th century, Vlorë was becoming the main center in the Albanian coastline, followed by Gjirokastër, Korçë, Bradashesh (near present-day Elbasan) being towns with a relatively small number of population.
A series of factors impacted in this aspect, worth to be mentioned are: increase of population in the cities, the need for craftsmanship products, technical enhancement, the short distance to the mines of iron, lead and silver in Serbian Hvosno.
Lack of salt in internal territories in Serbian Hvosno had already linked for a long time now with the cities of Durrës, Shirgj and Lezhë.
Another factor of connecting provinces was meeting of tradesmen from Durrës in Ulcinj, Bar, Shkodër, Lezhë and in markets of river valleys.
At the main points, such as fords, bridges and ports where such roads ended, customs were set up, where the caravans had to pay taxes for crossing the goods.
[8] In the first stage of trade exchanges, foreign Byzantine or Venetian coins were used as money, which were forged in gold and silver.
But later, in the 13th and 14th centuries, local money were issued and used, which was forged in silver and bronze in the cities like Shas, Drisht, Bar, Ulcinj, Shkodër, Durrës.
Such links were favored by empowerment of important trade cities in Italy, as for example in the 11th and 13th century were Amalfi and Venice, and later Dubrovnik in Dalmatia.
[10] From the sources of that time, tradesmen from Durrës, Vlorë, Shkodër, Ulcinj and Bar developed their activity in Dubrovnik, Venice, Kotor, Budva, Corfu, etc.
Besides the Venetians, in Albanian cities, the tradesmen from Dubrovnik were present as well, also followed by those from Ortona, Rimini, Barletta, Ancona, Zadar, Kotor, Vidin, Thessaloniki, Florence etc.
Foreign traders used to bring fabrics and cloth materials, weapons, ornaments, glasses, mirrors, expensive spices, sugar etc.
Whereas the best trade route in horizontal line was going through the territories of eastern Albania and it used to connect important centers like: Niš, Skopje, Bitola, Kastoria, Ioannina, etc.
This route, along with Via Egnatia and with many of their branches, must have played a primary role in homogenizing the ethno-cultural features of Albanians and on expansion of the medieval national name known as Arbër (Arbëri/Arbëni, Albani).