Gjirokastër

An Ottoman 'stone city' on the hillside above the Drino Valley, with slate roofs stacked up the slope. Visit the castle, the Zekate tower houses and other old mansions, and the heart of southern Albania's cultural heritage.

Gjirokastër is in southern Albania, built on the hillside on the west side of the Drino River valley, about 30 km from the Greek border. The old town is known for its gray slate roofs and stone tower houses (kulla), and is called the 'Stone City.' It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 as a well-preserved Ottoman-era town (together with Berat). It is also the birthplace of writer Ismail Kadare and former leader Enver Hoxha.

The main sights are concentrated around the castle hill. At the top, Gjirokastër Castle houses a weapons museum and the wreckage of a US military aircraft. At the foot of the castle are the old bazaar, where five stone-paved streets meet, and the Bazaar Mosque. On the western slope in the Palorto district are the Zekate House, the Skënduli House, the Ethnographic Museum, and the Kadare House. Next to the bazaar is also a Cold War-era underground tunnel. Outside town, you can drive to the Antigonea Archaeological Park, the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in Labova, and Libohova Castle. In the evening, head to Lake Viroi north of town for grilled fish.

The weather is most pleasant from April to June and from September to October. July and August are hot, but there are often folk festivals. Winters are cold, damp, and rainy in this mountain town. Getting there: there are long-distance buses from Tirana that take about 4 hours, and Sarandë is about 1 hour away by car, so trips here are often combined with the Blue Eye and the Sarandë coast. Plan to stay 1–2 days; a family-run guesthouse in the old town offers the best experience. Note that the stone paths are steep and slippery, so wear non-slip shoes. Many old houses are run by families and their opening hours are not fixed, so cash (lek) is more convenient.

Top sights

• Gjirokastër Castle – A UNESCO World Heritage fortress on top of the stone city, with a military museum, a clock tower, a US military aircraft that was shot down…
• Antigonea Archaeological Park – The ancient city founded by King Pyrrhus in memory of his wife. Walls and colonnaded houses sit on a mountaintop among oak forests, overloo…
• Zekate House – A fortress-style mansion with twin towers, built in 1812 on a hillside, with a top-floor salon overlooking the entire town.
• Skënduli House – The most representative Ottoman-era tower house in Gjirokastër, 300 years old and guided in person by family members.
• Gjirokastër Old Bazaar – An Ottoman-era old bazaar where five stone-paved streets meet. Shops under stone-slate roofs sell handicrafts, and it is the heart of the '…
• Gjirokastër Cold War Tunnel – A secret nuclear bunker beneath the castle hill, with more than 80 rooms that preserve Hoxha-era command rooms and power facilities.
• Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokastër – A traditional tower house built on the original site of Hoxha's birthplace, showing the family life and folk objects of Gjirokastër.
• Bazaar Mosque, Gjirokastër – The old bazaar mosque, completed in 1757, is the only surviving Ottoman mosque in Gjirokastër.
• Ismail Kadare House – The childhood home of Albania's literary giant Kadare, rebuilt as a museum and the real-life setting of the novel 'Chronicle in Stone'.
• Dormition Church, Labovë e Kryqit – An ancient Byzantine church in a mountain village, said to have been built under Emperor Justinian, and one of the oldest churches in Alban…
• Viroi Lake – A karst spring lake in the Drino valley north of the town, with lakeside restaurants where locals come to stroll and dine.
• Libohovë Castle – A square castle built by Ali Pasha for his sister Shanisha, perched in a mountain village across the Drino Valley.

Where to eat

• Kardhashi Traditional Eatery – A popular family-run eatery with a vine-covered terrace overlooking the castle. Its qifqi rice balls and lamb are the m…
• Odaja Traditional Restaurant – A small upstairs restaurant in an old building in the bazaar, with stone walls and timber beams. Stuffed eggplant and t…
• Kujtimi Restaurant – A long-established family restaurant in the old bazaar, popular for its vine-shaded terrace. Its signature is yogurt-ba…

Itineraries

• Albania Classic Historic Towns & Coast 9-Day Bus Loop – A car-free itinerary for first-timers, connecting Tirana, Berat, Gjirokastër, and Sarandë.
• Southern Albania Historic Towns, Coast & Valleys 15-Day Grand Road Trip – A self-drive loop around the south, covering historic towns, the Riviera, Benjë Thermal Baths, and Korçë.