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Gjirokastra

Western Balkans Travel Guide

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Overview

Defined by its castle, roads paved with chunky limestone and shale, imposing slate-roofed houses and views out to the Drina Valley, Gjirokastra is a magical hillside town described beautifully by Albania's most famous author, Ismail Kadare (b 1936), in Chronicle in Stone. There has been a settlement here for 2500 years, though these days it's the 600 'monumental' Ottoman-era houses in town that attract visitors. For Albanians, the town is also synonymous with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured the town was relatively well preserved under his rule, though he is not memorialised in any way here today.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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    Gjirokastra Castle

    Gjirokastra

    Gjirokastra's eerie hilltop castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans. There's been a fortress here since the 12th century, although much of what can be…

  • Gjirokastra, World Heritage, Zekate House, traditional house, room, wall paintings, ornaments, Albania

    Zekate House

    Gjirokastra

    This incredible three-storey house dates from 1811 and has twin towers and a double-arched facade. It's fascinating to nose around the almost unchanged…

  • Cold War Tunnel

    Cold War Tunnel

    Gjirokastra

    Gjirokastra's most interesting sight in no way relates to traditional architecture, but instead to a far more modern kind: this is a giant bunker built…

  • Skenduli House

    Skenduli House

    Gjirokastra

    The lovingly restored Ottoman-era Skenduli House has been in the hands of the same family for generations (apart from a few years during the communist…

  • Army Museum

    Army Museum

    Gjirokastra

    As well as photos of the partisan resistance against the Italians and a vast number of rifles and machine guns, it's possible to visit the cells where…

  • Gjirokastra Museum

    Gjirokastra Museum

    Gjirokastra

    This interesting museum is a beautifully lit and presented, fully English-signed display on the long and fascinating history of the town. Some highlights…

  • Ethnographic Museum

    Ethnographic Museum

    Gjirokastra

    This museum houses local homewares and was built on the site of Enver Hoxha's former house, in the middle of the Old Town. Its collection is interesting…

  • Bazaar

    Bazaar

    Gjirokastra

    The 'Neck of the Bazaar' makes up the centre of the Old Town but what were once artisanal workshops are today mainly tourist souvenir shops. There are a…

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