Gjirokastra — City of Stone
Gjirokastra (also Gjirokastër) is the stone counterpart to Berat — and for many travelers the most impressive city in Albania. The "City of Stone" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005 and owes its name to the massive stone houses with their characteristic slate roofs, which rise like a gray amphitheater up the hillside.
Gjirokastra is located in the Drinos Valley in southern Albania, dominated by one of the largest fortresses in the Balkans. The city is the birthplace of Ismail Kadare (Albania's most famous writer, Nobel Prize in Literature candidate) and — ironically — of Enver Hoxha, the communist dictator. This duality between culture and tyranny permeates the entire city.
Sights
- Gjirokastra Castle: The second largest fortress in the Balkans crowns the city like a jewel. Inside: a military museum, a captured US military aircraft (a propaganda exhibit from the Hoxha era), and a festival amphitheater that hosts the National Folklore Festival every five years. The view from the castle walls over the stone roofs and the Drinos Valley is overwhelming. Entrance: 400 Lek (4€).
- Skenduli House: A restored 18th-century Ottoman mansion — the best-preserved example of typical Gjirokastra architecture. The tour explains the life of the wealthy Bey families. Entrance: 200 Lek.
- Bazaar: The Ottoman bazaar in the lower town with craft shops, souvenirs, and traditional eateries. Less commercial than tourist bazaars elsewhere.
- Birthplace of Enver Hoxha: The dictator's house in the bazaar district (viewable from the outside). An ambivalent place — Albania is still grappling with the legacy of the 45-year dictatorship.
- Cold War Tunnel: An underground bunker from the Hoxha era beneath the castle, serving as a museum of the communist past. Both oppressive and impressive. Entrance: 200 Lek.
Gjirokastra is more compact than Berat — the main attractions can be visited in a day. But those who want to enjoy the atmosphere — the silence in the stone streets at sunrise, a raki in the bazaar, the view from the castle at dusk — should stay for a night.