The mighty Gjirokaster Castle stands above gorgeous Ottoman-era homes on a rocky hilltop in Southern Albania. The well preserved structure is one of the most beautiful castles in all of the Balkans.
Crammed with awesome features, the fortress is the best way to learn about Gjirokaster. It’s survived conquests, housed political prisoners, inspired poems, and now receives visitors from all over the world.
With its fascinating history and stunning views of the Drino Valley, it’s undoubtedly the highlight of the “City of Stone.”
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY
Built for safety purposes in a strategic part of the valley, the Gjirokaster Castle has been around since the 12th and 13th Centuries. However, the current structure differs greatly from the original design.
The initial constructions were raised by the Despots of Epirus, which were a branch of the Byzantine Empire. But, the fortification’s fantasy book looks come from improvements made under Ottoman rule. The most recent of those being renovations and westward addition done by Ali Pasha of Tepelena.
While the castle has mostly been neglected since his time, there was a short time where it was redesigned as a prison. In the 1930’s the Albanian King Zog added an extensive number of cells to Gjirokaster Castle in order to hold various political prisoners.
The castle’s upstairs courtyard.
WHAT YOU’LL SEE INSIDE GJIROKASTER CASTLE
I’ll start by saying there is a 400 Lek fee to see the castle grounds. While I mentioned neglect over time in the previous section, the castle is still in pristine condition and well worth the small price of entry.
While inside the complex, you’ll see a number of amazing points of interest. To start, you’ll find an interesting historical timeline of the city itself. From there you’ll pass by numerous statues and large artillery pieces. They lead to the Museum of Armaments, which is in an old section of the prison and details and displays arms from the beginning of Albanian independence in 1912 to the end of WWII.
Entry into the small museum within the castle will cost an additional 200 Lek.
In the open part of the castle, you’ll see a cistern, many towers and houses, informative signs about different local animal species, and a large stage used for the National Folk Festival. The two most notable things however, are an American airplane (which I’ll get to later) and the iconic Gjirokaster Clock Tower. If you haven’t seen it while walking around, then just look up! It lights up at night and is visible from almost every corner of town.
It was one of many things that the aforementioned Ali Pasha built during his reign. Another one of his creations was an aqueduct, now known as Ali Pasha’s Bridge, that brought water through the mountains to the city.
Next to the clock tower, you’ll learn about the interesting legend of Princess Argjiro. She holds a special place in Gjirokaster’s folk stories and even inspired a poem written by famous author Ismail Kadare.
AN AIRPLANE ON THE WALLS?
Yes, you heard that right!
There’s an airplane perched on the castle walls overlooking the fascinating Gjirokaster Bazaar.
To be more specific, it’s a Lockheed T-33 that once belonged to the US Air Force. The story behind the American jet used to be one of multiple conflicting narratives, but that was before any details came out about it.
The first tale was a swirl of rumors about how in 1957 an American spy plane was blasted from the sky during the Cold War. However, the gossip has been shot down (pun intended) in recent years. The more reasonable explanation is that the T-33 flew off course due to technical problems and had to land at Rinas Airport near Tirana.
Either way, it’s a surprising and peculiar thing to see on the ramparts of a medieval castle.
Packed full of interesting things, the Gjirokaster Castle is well worth the price of entry. Exploring the hillside fortress is one of the best ways to learn about the city’s rich history.
SOME MORE UNIQUE PLACES AND ARTICLES FROM GJIROKASTER:
