Tour 1
Gjirokastra
Gjirokastra
As you leave Saranda, the national
highway will lead you to
the unique city of Gjirokastra,
only 56 km away.
On the way, just 10 km away from Saranda, you will find Finiqi, the capital of the Kingdom of Epirus (and named Foinike at the time), which was founded in the third and second centuries B.C. in the territory of Kaonia. The historian Polybus called it “the most rich and fortified city of Epirus”. Southwest of Finiq in the hilltop village of Mesopotam, you can also visit the Church of Shën Kolli, built during the Byzantine period.
One of the most pleasant surprises along this journey is Syri i Kaltër (the “Blue Eye”), a powerful natural spring that has created a small lake of crystalclear water that looks like a giant human eye. The specialty of the nearby restaurant is the lake trout.
Past Qafa e Muzinës runs the national Gjirokastër-Kakavijë highway. As you leave the villages of Dropulli on your left, the museum-city of Gjirokastra unfolds in front of you, built at the eastern slope of Mali i Gjerë.
Due to its architecture,
Gjirokastra is also
known as the “City of Stone”
or “City of a Thousand Stairs”.
It is an ancient city with early
inhabitants, above which was
later constructed a fortress
that served as the center of
the city. What most attract
visitors to Gjirokastra are the
traditional tall houses made of
stone, which resemble small
fortresses that form a complex
of architectural monuments.
Due to its architectural value,
Gjirokastra is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The main object
is the city fortress, called
Fortress of Argjiro. (The renowned
story of the famous
princess Argjiro gave rise to
the name “Argjirokastro” given
to the city in 1336.) The Weapons
Museum located inside of
the fortress displays weapons
from the Paleolithic period up
until the Second World War.
During your stay in Gjirokastra
you also can visit the Ethnographic Museum. Gjirokastra
is famous for its food specialties
such as shapkat, laropit,
different kinds of pies (byrek),
and several dairy products
known all over Albania. There
are some more interesting
objects and places you might
visit, the Theatre of Sofratika,
the ancient city of Antigonea,
the Tekke of Melan, and the
village of Sotira.
The Theatre of Sofratika, belonging to the Roman city Adrianopoli from the second century A.D., held 4,000 spectators in 27 tiers. Antigonea is nowadays an archaeological park situated in the Lunxhëri area, east of Gjirokastra, close to the village of Saraqinisht. Antigonea is an ancient city of the second century B.C. It is thought that the city was founded by King Pyrrhus of Epirus who named the city after his wife Antigonea. The city was 35 hectares in size; its ruins are located on a hill at 600 m above sea level. Tourists can visit the remains and fragments of the surrounding wall, the agora (market), and the stoa of the city, which are 59 m long and 9 m wide. It’s worth mentioning that in the area archaeologists discovered a seven-inch bronze statue representing Poseidon, God of the sea, and the Sphinx of Antigonea. Both objects are displayed in the National History Museum in Tirana.
Only 4 km south of small city of Libovoha, the Tekke of Melan is to be found. This religious object of the Bektashi sect is open to everyone and guests are welcome and treated with a special hospitality. The village of Sotira is located in the region of Dropulli, populated by a Greek minority. It is a mountain village of a rare beauty with little stone houses surrounded by the fir forest of Sotira and lots of water springs. The region of Dropull, is known all over Albania for its fine women’s’ folk costumes and their elegance dances.
On the way, just 10 km away from Saranda, you will find Finiqi, the capital of the Kingdom of Epirus (and named Foinike at the time), which was founded in the third and second centuries B.C. in the territory of Kaonia. The historian Polybus called it “the most rich and fortified city of Epirus”. Southwest of Finiq in the hilltop village of Mesopotam, you can also visit the Church of Shën Kolli, built during the Byzantine period.
One of the most pleasant surprises along this journey is Syri i Kaltër (the “Blue Eye”), a powerful natural spring that has created a small lake of crystalclear water that looks like a giant human eye. The specialty of the nearby restaurant is the lake trout.
Past Qafa e Muzinës runs the national Gjirokastër-Kakavijë highway. As you leave the villages of Dropulli on your left, the museum-city of Gjirokastra unfolds in front of you, built at the eastern slope of Mali i Gjerë.
Due to its architecture,
Gjirokastra is also
known as the “City of Stone”
or “City of a Thousand Stairs”.
It is an ancient city with early
inhabitants, above which was
later constructed a fortress
that served as the center of
the city. What most attract
visitors to Gjirokastra are the
traditional tall houses made of
stone, which resemble small
fortresses that form a complex
of architectural monuments.
Due to its architectural value,
Gjirokastra is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. The main object
is the city fortress, called
Fortress of Argjiro. (The renowned
story of the famous
princess Argjiro gave rise to
the name “Argjirokastro” given
to the city in 1336.) The Weapons
Museum located inside of
the fortress displays weapons
from the Paleolithic period up
until the Second World War.
During your stay in Gjirokastra
you also can visit the Ethnographic Museum. Gjirokastra
is famous for its food specialties
such as shapkat, laropit,
different kinds of pies (byrek),
and several dairy products
known all over Albania. There
are some more interesting
objects and places you might
visit, the Theatre of Sofratika,
the ancient city of Antigonea,
the Tekke of Melan, and the
village of Sotira.The Theatre of Sofratika, belonging to the Roman city Adrianopoli from the second century A.D., held 4,000 spectators in 27 tiers. Antigonea is nowadays an archaeological park situated in the Lunxhëri area, east of Gjirokastra, close to the village of Saraqinisht. Antigonea is an ancient city of the second century B.C. It is thought that the city was founded by King Pyrrhus of Epirus who named the city after his wife Antigonea. The city was 35 hectares in size; its ruins are located on a hill at 600 m above sea level. Tourists can visit the remains and fragments of the surrounding wall, the agora (market), and the stoa of the city, which are 59 m long and 9 m wide. It’s worth mentioning that in the area archaeologists discovered a seven-inch bronze statue representing Poseidon, God of the sea, and the Sphinx of Antigonea. Both objects are displayed in the National History Museum in Tirana.
Only 4 km south of small city of Libovoha, the Tekke of Melan is to be found. This religious object of the Bektashi sect is open to everyone and guests are welcome and treated with a special hospitality. The village of Sotira is located in the region of Dropulli, populated by a Greek minority. It is a mountain village of a rare beauty with little stone houses surrounded by the fir forest of Sotira and lots of water springs. The region of Dropull, is known all over Albania for its fine women’s’ folk costumes and their elegance dances.
