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We drove from Parga in Greece to Gjirokaster (see my blog Driving through Albania: From Greece to Montenegro). We spent 1 night in Gjirokaster before driving to Himare (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide).
Contents
1. Introduction
Gjirokaster was our first stop in Albania whilst driving back to England from Greece. We had decided to spend one night there as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Bradt guide book describes Gjirokaster as a "beautiful Ottoman town".
Travel blogs raved about Gjirokaster and one well known blog stated "Spend a few days walking around the iconic cobblestone streets, browsing cute carpet and ceramic shops". I am certainly glad that we didn't follow their advice as half a day is adequate!
Too many guide books and blogs give undeserved positive impressions of places. As a result travellers waste their time and money following flawed advice.
In my opinion Gjirokaster isn't worth a visit unless you are passing by. If you do visit then 3 to 4 hours is sufficient unless you want to spend hours "browsing cute carpet and ceramic shops"! We don't need any more clutter in our house, particularly touristy junk.
2. Gjirokaster Castle
The highlight of Gjirokaster is the castle on the hill above the town. It is a steep climb up! In summer it is open from 09.00 to 18.00 and the entrance fee is 400 Lek (about Eur 4). It takes around 45 minutes to see Gjirokaster castle.
Most of what can be seen of the castle dates back to 1811. There are vaults to explore and the most interesting one displays numerous pieces of heavy artillery captured from the German and Italian forces in the 2nd world war. Unfortunately there are no descriptions for the items on display.
Above the vaults there is a clock tower and incongruously an American spy plane that was forced down in 1957.
There are 2 museums located at the castle and admission is extra. They are the Museum of Armaments and the Museum of Gjirokaster. We didn't visit them.
3. Gjirokaster Bazaar
Lower down on the hill below Gjirokaster castle is the bazaar. There are about 5 streets packed with tourist shops, cafes and restaurants. This area is very vibrant and interesting to see but it is very touristy. The buildings only date back to the early 20th century as the old buildings were destroyed in a fire.
4. Gjirokaster's Stone Houses
On the hill leading up to the bazaar and castle are some stone houses with grey slate roofs. Most of them date from the first half of the 19th century. A few of them have been turned into museums and the entrance fees are around the equivalent of Eur 5. There aren't enough of these houses for the area to be impressive.
5. New Gjirokaster
The new city centre of Gjirokaster was a bit scruffy and not very special.
6. Accommodation in Gjirokaster
We stayed in a very good value and spacious apartment costing Eur 38 per night near the stadium in Gjirokaster. Details of the apartment are on our blog UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2 . It is number 6 on this blog.