Gjirokastra
is Ottoman-era heritage
Welcome to Gjirokastra
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. The town is also synonymous for Albanians 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.
Top experiences in Gjirokastra
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
Gjirokastra activities
Long walking tour Old Bazaar, Castle, Ethnographic Museum, Historic House
In this short tour you will have the opportunity to discover some of the magic of the city by visiting the medieval Old Bazaar and the highlight of the city the Argjiro Castle. During this tour you will be accompanied by a local guide that knows all the secrets of the city.We will start the tour at Cerciz Topulli square where we will get some information about the tour and also learn a bit about the history of the city. Than we continue towards the Old Bazaar stopping at the Neck of Bazaar learning a bit about the architecture of the Bazaar and another stop at Obelisk the first school of the city. We have an amazing view of the city from here. It is the perfect spot to see some of the old characteristic buildings of the Stone City and also a perfect place to shot some pictures. Than we head towards the Castle where we spend around an hour and a half and learn more about the magic of the city and the history of the Castle. After the Castle we head towards the magical house of Zekate a must see. We learn there about the architecture of the house, what were the rooms used for, take some nice picture accompanied by successors of Zekate. Our last stop will be the Ethnographic Museum which was the house where the dictator of Albania Enver Hoxha was born. The aim of his tour is for you to experience the unique, magical and friendly atmosphere of Gjirokastra, not just to see the most popular tourist attractions.
Medium walking Tour Old Bazaar, Castle, Ethnographic Museum
In this short tour you will have the opportunity to discover some of the magic of the city by visiting the medieval Old Bazaar and the highlight of the city the Argjiro Castle. During this tour you will be accompanied by a local guide that knows all the secrets of the city. We will start the tour at Cerciz Topulli square where we will get some information about the tour and also learn a bit about the history of the city. Than we continue towards the Old Bazaar stopping at the Neck of Bazaar learning a bit about the architecture of the Bazaar and another stop at Obelisk the first school of the city. We have an amazing view of the city from here. It is the perfect spot to see some of the old characteristic buildings of the Stone City and also a perfect place to shot some pictures. Than we head towards the Castle where we spend around an hour and a half and learn more about the magic of the city and the history of the Castle. After the Castle we head towards the Ethnographic Museum which was the house where the dictator of Albania Enver Hoxha was born. The aim of his tour is for you to experience the unique, magical and friendly atmosphere of Gjirokastra, not just to see the most popular tourist attractions.
Walking Skip-the-Line Old Bazaar Castle Guided Tour
In this short tour you will have the opportunity to discover some of the magic of the city by visiting the medieval Old Bazaar and the highlight of the city the Argjiro Castle. During this tour you will be accompanied by a local guide that knows all the secrets of the city. We will start the tour at Cerciz Topulli square where we will get some information about the tour and also learn a bit about the history of the city. Than we continue towards the Old Bazaar stopping at the Neck of Bazaar learning a bit about the architecture of the Bazaar and another stop at Obelisk the first school of the city. We have an amazing view of the city from here. It is the perfect spot to see some of the old characteristic buildings of the Stone City and also a perfect place to shot some pictures. Than we head towards the Castle where we spend around an hour and a half and learn more about the magic of the city and the history of the Castle. After the castle we go again to Cerciz Topulli square. The aim of his tour is for you to experience the unique, magical and friendly atmosphere of Gjirokastra, not just to see the most popular tourist attractions.
Cooking Class With Chef Gjoca
Learn the secrets behind your favorite dishes of Gjirokaster with this 2-hour cooking class in Gjirokastra. Led by your local guide, step inside a traditional tavern, sip on a glass of raki or homemade wine and try your hand at some traditional Gjirokastrian food, using fresh, local ingredients. Then sit down to savor the fruits of your labor with your fellow chef. Numbers are limited to 10 to keep the experience as intimate as possible.Make your own way to Cerciz Topulli square, where you’ll join up with your host and walk over to restaurant Gjoca (the oldest chef in town). Meet your chef inside and begin the class with a glass of raki, wine or a cup of tea while chatting with your group mates. The food you are going to prepare is traditional of the city of Stone and the food is mainly based on vegetables and a little bit of meat. Prepare an authentic meal under the guidance of your instructor, where is included the furnace cheese (white cheese in oven) the unique Qifqi (Rice balls) found only in Gjirokastra, stuffed peppers with cottage cheese, traditional cheese pie and meatballs and in the end another characteristic dessert called Hasude. After all of your hard work, sit down with your group to savor each of your dishes. Pair your menu with a complimentary glass of wine or a soft drink and chat with your fellow chef while you eat. Your cooking class will conclude after the meal.In the end a recipe of what you have cooked will be given to you to prepare the same thing at home whenever you want.Cheers and Bon appetite!
Tour of Gjirokastra in one day
Tour starts at 9:00 from Choose Balkans Offices (Hotel Pick Up in Request).The origin of the city starts with the castle of Gjirokastra, built in IV century AD, and is considered one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the Balkans. Every five years Gjirokastra becomes the capital of the Albanian folklore and traditional music, where passionate folklore ensembles gather in the “stone city” and perform their traditional music, dances and costumes. Right before entering the castle of Gjirokastra you would have to pass by the medieval bazar. The atmospheric old town cascading down in graceful hill crammed full of beautiful narrowed stone decorated streets, where you would be amazed by the wide variety of hand made crafts from local artisans and producers. Will be visited • The fortress (Kalaja e Gjirokastres) • The old city • The polyphonic festival stage inside the castle • Museum of Weapons • The neighbourhood and house of Enver Hoxha, former Albanian communist Dictator • The neighbourhood and house of Ismail Kadare, world wide known writer, candidate for NOBEL price
Gjirokastra Full-Day Tour
We will have the chance to see walk the narrow cobble streets of the medieval bazaar and Ottoman-style houses where artisan women will be making doilies as well as carving wood and silver. Following this, we will have the unique experience of visiting the locals in their own homes and being treated with traditional, stone-ground coffee as well as "mountain tea".We will continue our tour in other quarters of Gjirokastra, including a visit to the castle itself. We will then have the chance to taste regional food cooked by locals. Before we finish off our tour, we will visit the historic Skenduli House, built in 1700 (most likely being shown around by Mr Skenduli himself) and the Ethnographic Museum. After completing the tour, you'll have free time to explore the city as you wish, either by relaxing with a coffee and enjoying the view or exploring more of the history that Gjirokastra has to offer.