"Gjirokaster" a Gjirokaster Travel Page by Argjiro

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Citadel of Gjirokaster

My Birth's Place

Gjirokaster is one of the most attractive cities in Albania. It has been and is still the most important centre of the southern Albania.

There are a significant number of archeological, historic and architectural sites in Gjirokaster and in the surrounding area. There are 150 different monuments under the protection of the state (citadel, cultural monuments, residences, engineering and art works). Due to the large number of historic monuments, Gjirokaster was declared a museum town in 1961. However the years of transition along with socio-economic difficulties have resulted in significant problems regarding the maintenance and preservation of the historical and cultural heritage of Gjirokaster. There is a need for immediate actions from all development partners to support in restoring and preserving the old buildings, monuments, historical public places in Gjirokaster city as its architecture and cultural resources are of great national and European significance.

Gjirokastra or GJIROKASTËR is one of the most venerable towns of Albania. Its name means Silver Fortress, and neatly shows the relation within one linguistic group of Greek, Latin, Etruscan and Albanian.Like Berat to the north, it is a UNESCO World Heritage City.

In the south of the country, 300 meters above sea level, Gjirokastra has a beautiful and dramatic situation in a lush valley between the high Gjerë mountains and the rushing river Drin or Drinos.

The old part of the town, with charming and characteristic Balkan-Ottoman houses, many with rooves composed of expertly-cut shale stone, surrounds the citadel and overlook the grim Communist-built slum-suburbs and the flood-plain of the Drino.