GYROCASTER - CITY OF THOUSAND STEPS

Not far from Saranda is an amazing city, whose history goes back to the distant past. A city often referred to as the “stone city”, the “city of a thousand steps” or the “city of silver roofs”. This is the city of Gjirokaster or Argyrokastro, as the local Greeks call it, because Gjirokaster is the center of the Greek community, there is even the Consulate General of Greece. The main attraction of the city is the fortress, which was founded by the Illyrians more than two and a half thousand years ago. Today on the territory of the fortress there is a museum of artillery weapons. From the walls of the fortress offers an unusually picturesque view of the cozy streets and quarters of the ancient Turkish Sajak. In addition, Gjirokaster is the birthplace of Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha and the famous Albanian writer Ismail Kadare, whose novels have been translated into 45 languages! Well, for fans of thrills recently in Gjirokaster opened for visitors a huge bunker, which is deep underground.

We will start with a visit to the ancient fortress, which is located at an altitude of almost 900 meters above sea level. From a bird’s-eye view, you can admire the charming landscapes of the old town and the surrounding area. There, in the fortress, we will look at the unique exhibits of the weapons museum, the most important trophy is, of course, an American spy plane shot down by the Albanian military in the early fifties. After visiting the fortress, we will have a walk through the Turkish bazaar, where you can get acquainted with the works of local artisans. Here are handmade carpets, and wood products, stone sculptures, embroidery, silver jewelry and much more. Further, the program plans to visit the old house in which Enver Hoxha was born, and today there is an ethnographic museum. After that, you can walk through the streets of the city or dine in a traditional local tavern.

On the way back we will make a short stop to have a cup of fragrant fresh coffee and try local sweets at the pastry shop. Also, if you haven’t already visited the Blue Eye Spring and St. Nicholas Monastery in Mesopotamia, we can do it on the way to Saranda! And the price will remain exactly the same!