Gjirokastra Bazaar

Our guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and then we will drive to Gjirokastra. The most beautiful thing to admire in Gjirokastër is its enchanting old town, which has been listed among UNESCO’s world heritage sites. As soon as you step onto its streets, you’ll understand why Gjirokastër is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Albania and the Balkans. The town is covered in stunning Ottoman-era houses and buildings that are now artisan shops, restaurants and lovely hotels. Most of them are located in or near the bazaar and date back to the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. So, bring your camera with you, take some pictures, and spend time looking for a tasty byrek to eat or nice souvenirs for you and your friends.

Gjirokaster Castle

The castle is the second largest in the Balkans and has still been used as a garrison and prison until very recently. The citadel was probably built in the 8th-7th centuries BC (Iron Age) and later fortified in the 5th century BC. Further building and extension happened in the early Ottoman period. Much of what can be seen today is the work of further improvements and architecture under the reign of Ali Pasha in the 19th century. From the hillside you reach the entrance via a steep cobbled road. Inside after about 50m you find the Bektashi Tomb to the right. To the left from the entrance there is a long artillery gallery with Italian and German pieces from WWII. There’s also an American spy plane on display, that was captured by the communists during the Cold War. The Clock Tower is one of Ali Pasha’s additions during the 19th century. Next to it is the Festival Stage built in the 1980s to host the Albanian National Folk Festival held every 4 years.