UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gjirokastra is known as a stone city and has more than 350 stone houses. This city, centred around its imposing castle and steeped in centuries of history, captivates visitors with its warm ambiance and the harmonious coexistence of diverse cultures, customs, and natural beauty. In Gjirokastra, we will visit the magnificent castle, the biggest in the country, the historic Centre, featuring a unique market and distinctive stone pavements, and the Skendulaj fortress house, showcasing exquisite stone and wood craftsmanship. This town has a fascinating history as it was the birthplace of the dictator Enver Hoxha.

Originally built in the 12th century, by the Despots of Epirus, an off-shoot of the Byzantine government, who established the basic towered structure of the castle. Later on, while the area was under Ottoman rule, the site was extensively renovated and built upon, bringing the site to a sort of regality that it hadn’t enjoyed since its creation centuries prior. In the 1800’s, a clock tower and aqueduct were also added. In the 1930’s the fantastically named Zog, King of the Albanians converted the fortress into a prison, adding a number of cells and fortifications to hold members of the various resistance forces acting in the country during his reign.