How much is Gjirokastër Castle, when is it open, and what is worth seeing in the old town?

The castle: what the ticket buys

The fortress sits on a ridge above the town like a stone ship, and it is one of the largest surviving hill forts in the Balkans. The 400 lekë ticket gets you onto the ramparts, through the vaulted galleries lined with artillery, past the 19th-century clock tower, and to the open-air stage used for the national folklore festival.

The captured US Air Force training jet is the odd, memorable centrepiece — forced down during the Cold War and now parked inside the walls.

Indoor sub-exhibits, including the Museum of National Armaments and the prison museum, are priced separately at roughly 200 lekë each. The prison is the more interesting of the two: this was a political prison under the communist government, and it is not presented as a neutral space.

Allow 1.5 hours for the castle. The views over the slate roofs of the old town and down the Drino valley are the other half of the visit.

The old town and the bazaar

Below the castle, the Qafa e Pazarit old bazaar is the centre of gravity: steep cobbled lanes, artisan shops selling wool carpets, lace, carved wood and copper coffee sets.

Gjirokastër is a UNESCO World Heritage site for a specific reason: the Ottoman tower houses. These are fortified merchant mansions with stone lower floors, overhanging upper storeys and extraordinary carved wooden ceilings. Two are open to visitors and both are worth the small entry fee:

• Skenduli House — often shown by a member of the family, with rooms, harems and wedding chambers furnished as they were.

• Zekate House — a double-towered house from 1811 with a dramatic double-arched facade.

There is also a Cold War tunnel under the town, a bunker network built for the government in case of nuclear attack, visitable on a guided tour.

Getting there and how long to stay

We spent three nights here in September 2023, arriving from Përmet and leaving for Sarandë. That is the correct amount of time for the castle, the bazaar, the tower houses and one slow evening.

Gjirokastër is on the main north-south route through southern Albania. Buses and furgons connect it to Tepelenë and Tirana to the north, and to Sarandë on the coast. The bus station sits below the town, and the climb up into the old quarter is steep — pack accordingly, or take a taxi for the last stretch.

If you are driving, park below the old town rather than trying to get into the lanes. They are narrow, cobbled and not designed for cars.

What to eat

Gjirokastër has a dish you will not find elsewhere: qifqi, pan-fried rice balls seasoned with mint. Order them. The town also does the southern Albanian staples well — tavë kosi, baked lamb, and byrek.

Coffee culture is serious here, as everywhere in Albania. The cafés around the bazaar are where the town sits in the afternoon, and they are cheap.

Frequently asked questions