The Stone City of Gjirokastra

Description:

Tour of the Castle and the Museum-Visit of the old town – Drive back to the port

Gjirokastra is one of the most famous sites of Albania, inscribed as a UNESCO city since 2005.

It is often known as “the Stone City” and its most distinctive feature is the silvery-coloured limestone which gives the city its distinctive character.

Gjirokastra is famous for its Ottoman-style fortified tower houses, which are stacked up the hillside and reached by winding pathways. Virtually all the houses seen today were built in the early 19th century, especially after 1811 when Ali Pasha made the city a hub of trade and communications in the region. Their size and position demonstrates the wealth of Gjirokastra and its landowning families.

The castle which is believed is the largest in the Balkans is one of Albania’s most magnificent monuments. Archaeologists believe that the site of the castle has been inhabited since the Iron Age with the first fortifications, block-built stone walls – probably being erected from the 5th century.

We start the tour with a visit at the Old Bazaar, a narrow stony street with local handmade souvenir shops, and traditional houses. The road through the bazar will lead us to the Castle of Gjirokastra,
In the castle it is planed the visit in two museum The Gjirokastra Museum and the Armaments Museum.

The tour of the castle will take 1.5 hours. After the museums we will visit the Clock tower where we have a great panorama of the city and various neighborhoods.

After the castle we visit in one of the characteristics traditional house for the exterior and interior. It is the house of birth of the ex dictator of the country, Enver Hoxha.
The tour will end with the visit in a very strategic “hidden” point of Gjirokastra at “Obelisk”, above the bazaar where you cane enjoy another great panorama of Gjirokastra.

***Lunch can be organized in a local restaurant in the old town with traditional menu

After the tour, return transfer to the port of Saranda.