Albania
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Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër
About
Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage site known as the "Stone City," defined by its imposing fortress and hundreds of 17th-century Ottoman tower houses built with distinctive silver-grey limestone
Insider Tips
One of the highlights is the Gjirokastër Castle, one of the largest in the Balkans. It houses a large collection of captured artillery, a recovered US Air Force "spy plane", and a clock tower. The views of the Drino Valley are unparalleled. Entry is 400 LEK while the museum inside is extra. Be warned, the walk from the Bazaar to the Castle is a steep 30-degree incline
The Old Bazaar (Pazari i Vjetër) is the aesthetic heart of the city. While touristy, the intersection of the five main streets is iconic for its stone-paved beauty. Be warned it's now 90% souvenir shops. You will see the same mass-produced magnets and "traditional" rugs over and over. If you want real handicrafts, look for the small woodcarving or lace shops on the fringe streets
Did you know?
Gjirokastër is built on such a steep slope that local lore says if you were to trip and fall in certain parts of the upper town, you would actually land on the roof of a house in the lower town. This verticality led the famous Albanian writer Ismail Kadare to describe it as "the world's most lopsided city"