Travel guide

Gjirokastër

The stone city on the hillside

🗓️ Best time: May–June, September–October💰 Budget · ~$40/day📍 Albania

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About Gjirokastër

A UNESCO town of slate-roofed Ottoman tower houses stacked up a hillside, under one of the largest castles in the Balkans — which holds a captured American spy plane in its courtyard, left there since 1957.

⭐ Things to do in Gjirokastër

Gjirokastër Castle and the spy planeSkenduli HouseOld BazaarCold War tunnel under the townBlue Eye spring, 30 minutes awayAntigonea archaeological park

🍽️ What to eat in Gjirokastër

Signature local dishes worth seeking out.

Qifqi rice balls (only made here)ByrekFërgesë peppers and cheeseRaki

✈️ Know before you go

🚕 Getting around

Bus from Tirana (4h); the town is extremely steep — wear real shoes.

💡 Local tip

Qifqi are a Gjirokastër-only dish — no other Albanian town makes them.

🛡️ Safety

Safe and welcoming; rural roads are rough and best driven in daylight.