Old Town of Gjirokastër
Old Town of Gjirokastër is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided The Albanian Riviera & Butrint audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~120 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- The Albanian Riviera & Butrint The Albanian Riviera & Butrint guide
About Old Town of Gjirokastër
The old town of Gjirokastër, the City of Stone, a World Heritage Site of tall Ottoman tower houses with roofs of stone slabs, steep cobbled lanes and an old bazaar below the castle.
Gjirokastër was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2005, and joined with Berat in 2008. Its tower houses, called kule, date from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. The writer Ismail Kadare and the communist leader Enver Hoxha were both born here.
The bazaar lanes are free and open at all times. Museums and historic houses have their own hours, shorter in winter, and some houses are opened by family members. The cobbled lanes are steep and slippery when wet.
Did you know? Gjirokastër is called the City of Stone because many of its tall Ottoman tower houses, called kule, are roofed with heavy slabs of stone.
How long should you spend at Old Town of Gjirokastër?
Plan about ~120 min at Old Town of Gjirokastër. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Old Town of Gjirokastër worth visiting?
Old Town of Gjirokastër is one of the 13 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in The Albanian Riviera & Butrint, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
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Day 2 of the The Albanian Riviera & Butrint in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Old Town of Gjirokastër
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