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Backpacking in Gjirokaster | Albania

August 31 2020 | Tagged: The Balkans

Gjirokaster, the town of a thousand steps, UNESCO listed since 2005, the birthplace of former communist dictator Enver Hoxha and novelist Ismail Kadare.

Continuing my 'backpacking' series, of things to see, what to do, where to stay and how to get there and occasionally great places of where to eat and drink, as I travel around the Balkans in the Summer of 2020.
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Gjirokaster in the summer is very hot. Walking around between 2 pm and 5 pm is best avoided. The streets are cobbled and steep!

Get up early. 6 am is a good time to sit outside with a cup of coffee:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Old shops on a steep street in Gjirokaster:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Tourist bazaar in Gjirokaster. Not much business during Covid though. Cute buildings:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
The castle sits on top of the hill above the town. It's open from 9 am to 6 pm, costs 300LEK but is free on Sunday. I went there after breakfast!

There are lots of things to see up there including a museum and military weapons display but I have a fascination for the clock tower:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
And then I went back at 5 pm and stayed until they kicked me out.
Gjirokaster castle nomadic backpacker
Castle at Gjirokaster
There is a tunnel under the castle, which I obviously walked through and made this short video:
There is also the Cold War Tunnel Museum, I went along alone and the guy in the small kiosk said, 'it's a guided tour, so come back with a few people', WTF, so I went back a few days later with another backpacker who arrived. The fee is 200LEK.
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It was built in secret in the 1970s and it's purpose was that it would be used as a bunker for government officials in the event of an evasion. It has 800m of tunnels and 59 rooms. The tunnel today is pretty much as it was so it has a very authentic feel, though most rooms are empty:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
There are a couple of House Museums: Skenduli House and Zakate House. I went to the Skenduli House which is the best preserved and most authentic in Gjirokaster and owned by one of the richest families, the Skenduli family. The house has 64 windows, 44 doors, 12 rooms, 4 hamams, and 6 bathrooms.
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They run guided tours, entrance fee is 200LEK. Photography is forbidden but you can see a few photos and read a little more about the house on www.visit-gjirokaster.com.
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Enver Hoxha, the former communist dictator of Albania, from 1944 to 1985, was born in Gjirokaster 1906. The house in which he was born no longer exists, it was destroyed by fire. In 1966 a larger house was built but is still known as the house where he lived. It is now the Ethological Museum.
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View of the old traditional houses in Gjirokaster:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
The 2nd most famous former resident of Gjirokaster is Albania poet, novelist and playwright Ismail Kadere. Born in 1936, he wrote a number of well-acclaimed books, including Chronicle in Stone which describes life in a small Albania city during the Second World War.

He 'escaped' to France in 1990 and applied for asylum where he could continue to write 'freely' after some of his writings had not been well received and some had even been banned by the authorities.

The original house has been replaced after it was destroyed by fire in 1997. He was quoted as saying, when he returned to Gjirokaster, "this is not my house".
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There is this neat obelisk and it's a bit tricky to find. The entrance is through a small doorway which is locked outside of office hours and there is no sign!
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
I don't normally post food pictures as I mostly cook for myself in the hostel kitchens but Gjirokaster is famous for Qifqi, a traditional dish of rice, herbs and eggs, fried in a special pan. I tried it at the small Kujtimi restaurant on the same street as my hostel:
Qifqi in Gjirokaster
What's the verdict? I tastes like it should. Imagine the flavour, rice, eggs and herbs mixed together, then fried.

Gjirokaster -  Where to stay:


​I stayed at the Stone City Hostel, in a beautifully renovated building in the heart of the old town:
I wrote a full review on My Stay at the Stone City Hostel. I stayed 4 or 5 days there. Walter the Dutch owner took me and a couple of others on his very own Stone City Hostel 'free walking tour' of the town. He loves his history, such a mind of information.
Stone City Hostel Gjirokaster Albania
Stone City Hostel also organised and ran a day trip for me and 3 others to the valley of Bënjë. There we visited a small hillside village, the hot springs and hiked up the gorge a way and had a fabulous local style lunch:
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster
Nomadic Backpacker Gjirokaster

Gjirokaster - Getting there and away:

I took the 8 am bus from Berat. 3 hours, 900LEK. Maniac driving. Beware! Regular buses are going to and from Tirana and Saranda. Other towns less so but the folks at Stone City Hostel can set you right.

From the new town to the old town ain't far but streets are like those found in Flanders, cobbled and steep. I found a supermarket near the stadium and it's an awesome daily workout picking up your supplies. You can take a local bus for 30LEK, but I never did!
Next Post:

​Stone City Hostel Review

Previous Post:

​Backpacking in Berat | Albania


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  • HOME
  • About
    • ABOUT Me
    • About the Blog
  • Sitemap
  • ADVERTISE
  • BORDER CROSSINGS
  • DONATE
  • CONTACT
  • Travel Advice
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  • destinations
    • United Kingdom
    • Belize
    • Honduras
    • Panama
    • Costa Rica
    • Nicaragua
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Mexico
    • Africa
    • Turkey
    • The Balkans
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