Gjirokastër Highlights

Gjirokastër, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is characterized by its distinctive Ottoman-era stone houses and steep, cobbled streets. This historic center is dominated by its massive 12th-century fortress, which contains a 19th-century clock tower. The city's layout includes the 17th-century Old Bazaar, a complex Cold War-era underground bunker, and the remains of an extensive aqueduct system built by Ali Pasha. These landmarks represent centuries of military, commercial, and political history in the Drino Valley.

Gjirokastër Castle

Gjirokastër Castle is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania. Gjirokastër Castle is situated at a height of 336 metres.The castle dominates the…

Ali Pasha's Bridge

A stone remnant of an early 19th-century aqueduct system built by Ali Pasha of Ioannina to transport water to the castle.

Clock Tower

A 19th-century Ottoman landmark located within the castle grounds, originally built to regulate the city's prayer times and market hours.

Cold War tunnel

A massive 59-room underground bunker built during the 1970s to house the local communist leadership in the event of a nuclear attack.

Old Bazaar

The 17th-century marketplace featuring traditional Ottoman architecture and steep cobblestone streets, rebuilt after a major fire in the 19th century.

Çerçiz Topulli

A monument dedicated to the Albanian national hero and revolutionary leader who was a key figure in the country's independence movement.