Gjirokastër Cold War Tunnel
Tuneli i Luftës së Ftohtë
A secret nuclear bunker beneath the castle hill, with more than 80 rooms that preserve Hoxha-era command rooms and power facilities.
This tunnel is a secret underground command post that the Hoxha regime built beneath the castle hill in the 1970s to prepare for nuclear war. It is about 800 m long and has more than 80 rooms. They were originally meant as shelters for municipal and Party officials, and the tunnel was not made public until the 1990s. The open sections preserve a conference room, communications room, generator room and gas-proof doors. Guided tours explain the isolation and fear of Albania during the Cold War. The entrance is on the hillside near the old bazaar. Admission is about 200–300 lek. Entry is only with a guide, and the tour takes about 40 minutes.
Opening hours
Approx. 09:00–18:00; extended in summer
Nearby sights
- Gjirokastër Castle
- Gjirokastër Old Bazaar
- Bazaar Mosque, Gjirokastër
- Ismail Kadare House
- Skënduli House
- Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokastër
- Zekate House
- Viroi Lake