The Gjirokaster Cold War Tunnel lies deep beneath a castle, hidden from the sight of the casual passerby. The underground bunker shares a story from Albania’s surreal Cold War times, with untouched remnants scattered about.
Previously concealed from the common traveler, the tunnel is currently a well-known secret from the “Stone City’s” past. The original construction of the Gjirokaster Cold War Tunnel was built during the seventies and eighties and was undisclosed even to the local city folk.
This was during paranoid times in Albania. Bunkers were being built in scores by the former leader Enver Hoxha, a man known for trusting no one but himself. He was expecting a full-blown invasion of the country throughout most of his power struggle, but his war never came. Despite the prevalence of country-wide bunkers, it was to the public’s surprise that a secretive vault found under the Gjirokaster Castle was revealed to the public in the 1990s.
It wasn’t until 2014, though, that the tunnel was opened for tours. These aren’t typical trips. You have to ask an employee of Gjirokaster’s Information Center (maps) to take you through the dimly lit rooms. The cost when I went was 200 Lek and the guide was very knowledgeable (at least mine was). The tour itself is only about twenty to thirty minutes, and weaves in and out of abandoned rooms frozen in time.
If you are coming from Saranda, there’s also a chance to hop on a tour that combines the Blue Eye and Gjirokaster and involves a trip into the tunnel. If you want to know more, you can check it out here.
INSIDE THE GJIROKASTER COLD WAR TUNNEL
The whole space in the bunker was meant for roughly two hundred people. Unsurprisingly, but sadly, these were only the ones deemed important in case of war.
There are dozens of rooms branching off from the tunnel with labels of their purpose still plastered on them. Along with all the facilities you’d expect (sleeping quarters, kitchen, toilets, etc.) there are offices for most of the local government positions.
Most of these are empty.
However, there are still a few items littered throughout the tunnel that will take you back in time. Phones with rotary dials, old power generators, and bygone magazines, to name a few.
As with anything built deep inside a hill, the bunker is dark and cold. A series of dimly lit lights cast shadows on the concrete walls and the quietness is atmospheric. Still, the whole place is somehow hauntingly beautiful. Maybe this is what makes it such an amazing experience.
If you like creepy and abandoned places from recent history, or anything to do with the Cold War era, this is the spot to visit while in Gjirokaster!
Fun Fact | The temperature in the Cold War bunker is supposed to stay at 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) year-round. Because of this, I suggest bringing something to cover up. There’s a chance you’ll be down here for as long as 30 minutes.
How to get to the Gjirokaster Cold War Tunnel?
As I mentioned before, the bunker is only accessible through a tour. Whether that’s with the guys from the information center or a group tour through an agency. The tunnel is directly underneath the castle, through a heavy, locked metal door on the side of the hill. It’s just a short walk from the info center.
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