Gjirokastra (Albania): a city frozen in time
From Vlorë, we take a 3-day mini road trip to spend more time in the cities we just skimmed through last time. Gjirokastra, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its beautiful Ottoman houses, really impressed me last time, and I absolutely had to go back.
Part 1: Travel Journal
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Journal
Remember, last time we couldn’t get in because the old town was under construction. This time, we come from the other side, and despite the steep streets, our automatic car held up.
Here’s the route we recommend. Don’t go into the small streets; there won’t be enough room if you meet a car coming the other way. We park the car in front of our hotel Praga (Booking link), and explore the old town on foot.
We rented a car from Sixt in Vlorë for €20/day. The agency doesn’t even have an office; a car and an employee are waiting for us at the agreed time on the street. Whereas last time, we had a manual car rented from Europcar in Tirana, and it slid backward on any steep road. Anyway, whether in Montenegro or Albania, opt for an automatic car for your own safety !
Since the car is filled to 1/4 with gas, we stop at a gas station at random. The people working there look so shady that we wonder if we’ve been scammed / if they really gave us gas / if this station is just for money laundering: no clear price displayed, they give us the price in euros, but when we pay in LEK, they apply a rate that’s way too favorable.
I think our imagination rivals Hollywood’s, because after driving for a while, not only do we realize the gas was properly put in, but the price was also good 😀 hahaha poor Albanians, even though they’re super nice, we still have some prejudices, especially when we see thousands of unfinished houses along the road. Because the owners must have paid off the mafia so much that they don’t have money left to finish their houses.
We try to have lunch at the restaurant closest to the hotel, but everyone is chain-smoking inside. The owner is super nice and treats us like VIPs, but the smoke is unbearable for me. I say goodbye to him while choking.
We then find a cute little restaurant where dishes are made to order in a tiny kitchen. But everything is delicious and cheap, despite the central location. JB enjoys his moussaka portion. We paid about 1000 LEK for two (starter – main – dessert). Type Kurveleshi into Google Maps.
This intersection is probably the most beautiful and lively in the old town. Given the number of souvenir shops and restaurants (closed), there must be a lot of tourists in normal times. Not surprising: Gjirokastra is in all the tourist brochures. It’s a must-see in Albania, along with Berat.
Gjirokastra is the birthplace of former dictator Enver Hoxha. It houses one of the two most massive bunkers in the country: Cold War Tunnel. I didn’t like the visit to the small bunker in Tirana , and this one looks even creepier, so I didn’t want to go.
Gjirokastra Castle
Following the arrows, we take a shortcut (not difficult stairs) to climb up to the castle. An old lady is waiting in front of the castle in the rain, trying to sell us fresh herbs, probably for infusions. We feel sorry for her because she spends the day in the rain, there are few tourists, and what she’s selling is not very appealing 🙁
This fortress dates back to the 12th century, but it was later turned into a prison during communist times. Entry costs 200 LEK per person. And 100 LEK per person for the two museums upstairs, dedicated to weapons & the old prison.
The collections are quite sparse. What interests us most is the little tower in the distance and the view from the terrace,
From here, we have a 180° view over the city. We can see the intersection where we had lunch earlier.
And hundreds of houses with Ottoman architecture, oh so pretty.
A US Air Force plane is exhibited here. A sign explaining the two versions of its story. According to the American version, the pilot (who took off from Châteauroux in France), due to technical issues, had to land near Tirana, off course. He was sent back to the US shortly after. The Albanian version talks about a “spy” plane that quickly became a Cold War trophy and a symbol of the external threat against communism. According to Lonely Planet, both versions are “fake news,” but the American version is even more fake than the Albanian one hahaha.
We head back down into the old town and come face to face with this beautiful minaret. Not being veiled, only JB explores the inside of the mosque, which he says is very simple.
Watch out for the kids. Around here, there are roofs that look like stairs and there’s absolutely no protection. You or your kids might accidentally walk on a roof.
Viewpoint near KODRA restaurant
We head to Kodra restaurant, spotted from the castle terrace. The ground here is elevated and well cleared, offering a 270° view over the surroundings and the castle.
Because of the rain, we decide to sit down and have a hot chocolate for 180 LEK. It’s as thick as the hot chocolate in Andalusia, more like melted chocolate than a hot chocolate.
Skenduli House
Very tired from driving this morning and the rain, we plan to go back to the hotel, but a sign catches our attention, and we do the last visit of the day: Skenduli House. Despite the communist era, the owners managed to get their family house back, even though they no longer live there.
In this old house, there is also a bunker. Running water is provided by a huge two-story cistern that collects rainwater. The system still works. For 200LEK per person, we get a guided tour of the entire house.
It is very sparsely furnished because they slept on the floor, on rugs and blankets stored in the mezzanine (a bit like the Japanese). Only the elders and newlyweds get a private room; the rest of the family sleeps together. The reception rooms on the top floor are the most beautiful, with a nice view of the mountains.
There are still more houses to explore in the area:
- The Zekate House
- Fico House
- Angonate House
- Babameto House
- Jaho-Babaramo House
but The Zekate House (which we didn’t get a chance to visit) and Skenduli House are the most important.
Hotel Praga
We head back, still in the rain, to our hotel Praga, renovated in 2019, but it still keeps a traditional structure. Luckily, the lady at the hotel lent me her large umbrella, otherwise I would have been soaked during all these visits. JB, for his part, always has his waterproof coat and doesn’t need one. Actually, that made an Albanian react, thinking I was selfish enough not to want to share the umbrella with him 😀
The hotel pool is small but quite deep. Too bad it’s raining and so cold.
The service is top-notch because we have a traditional fireplace in the room and they offered to light it for us. So we slept warm with the smell and crackling sound of a wood fire, it’s so pleasant and especially unexpected! We didn’t have dinner though, the afternoon hot chocolate was filling and we had planned snacks to curb our hunger and avoid going back out into the damp.
I highly recommend this hotel (Booking link). We got the most expensive room (60€), I don’t know if the other rooms have a fireplace. The walk-in shower is gorgeous, and the hearty breakfast is served in the room, probably due to Covid.
The next day, we head to Berat (continued in the next article)
Part 2: Practical Tips
Budget
- Car rental with Sixt in Vlorë: 22€/day
- Fuel: €15/day
- Hotel Praga (Booking link): 60€ for the room with fireplace
- Lunch restaurant: 1000LEK for two people
- Castle: 200LEK/person
- The two small museums: 100LEK/person for both
Links
All my articles about Albania are available here
For excursions, guided tours in Albania, check out Civitatis or Viator (by Tripadvisor) here.
My best addresses in Albania are on this custom Google Maps. You can also access it here
