AL
Gjirokastrër
The “stone city”: Ottoman tower houses, a vast hilltop castle and a Cold War tunnel in Albania’s south
The “stone city”: Ottoman tower houses, a vast hilltop castle and a Cold War tunnel in Albania’s south
The vast castle above town holds an arms museum, a clock tower, old prison cells and a US Air Force jet. It hosts Albania’s national folk festival.
Go late afternoon for the light over the valley.
Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0
The stone-paved bazaar below the castle is lined with craft shops, cafés and the 18th-century Bazaar Mosque.
Photo: Gjirokastra1, CC BY-SA 4.0
This 18th-century tower house shows how wealthy families lived, with guest rooms, a hammam and hidden spaces; members of the family often show visitors round.
Photo: Christoph Strässler, CC BY-SA 2.0
A grand 19th-century house with twin towers high on the hillside, with painted rooms and views across the city.
A steep walk up; wear good shoes.
Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 4.0
The rebuilt family home of the writer Ismail Kadare is now a museum. Nearby, a Cold War tunnel built under the town for the communist leadership can be visited on a tour.
Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 4.0
Try qifqi, the local rice balls with herbs and egg, along with pasha qofte (meatball soup), lamb, local cheese and honey. Restaurants in the bazaar and near the castle often have terraces with views.
Raki is offered as a welcome in many guesthouses.
Buses run from Saranda (about an hour), Tirana (about four hours) and Berat. Most stop in the new town below; take a taxi or walk uphill to the bazaar.
The old town is steep and cobbled, so wear good shoes. The Blue Eye spring is an easy day trip.
Albania uses the lek (ALL). Gjirokastër is good value.
Two days for the stone city.
Explore the castle, then the bazaar and Skenduli House.
Visit Zekate House, Kadare House and the Cold War tunnel, or take a day trip to the Blue Eye.
Streets are steep and slippery.
Carry lek.
Sunset from the castle.
Saranda is about an hour away.
Quick answers for planning time in Gjirokastër.
Yes, together with Berat, inscribed in 2005.
About an hour by bus.
An arms museum, a clock tower, prison cells and a US Air Force jet.
The novelist Ismail Kadare.
April to June or September to October.
Planning a wider trip? Our Albania travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.