Gjirokaster - The Magic of a stone city in southern Albania

Gjirokaster is my favourite city in Albania. It has a unique ambience and structure. It was Day 4 of my car tour – we drove up from Berat. Located in southern Albania, Gjirokastra lies on the steep slopes of the Drino River valley, in a dominant position with a landscape rich in history. This is the “city of a thousand staircases”, which includes hundreds of houses – Ottoman-type towers with stone roofs, wooden balconies and stone walls. With a magnificent castle on a steep hill, Gjirokastra is a magical city. July 2005, it became a UNESCO’s world heritage site. 

We were driving up towards the city, mainly through green hilly countryside. It was a cloudy day and the weather forecast for the next three days was around 10 degs at night. Daytime was around 15 degs. The streets are all narrow and curving continuously and you lose track of the route. Suddenly, we were at our hotel: its a a very small property; more like a large apartment with just five basic en-suite rooms.                                                                                                           

After settling in, we decided to walk to the town. It’s a long meandering downhill stroll, through narrow lanes and high stone walls of local houses. Occasionally, you see a garden or the view of the hills.

The city’s name first appears in the historical record in the mid 1300’s as Argyrocastron, medieval Greek for the ‘silver castle,’ but the settlement has been around for much longer. Archaeological evidence says this area has been occupied since 2,000 BCE ! The castle has stood watch over the valley below ever since the 6^th – 12^th C but you need to read my blog on the Fort / Castle for more interesting details and photos.

The archaeological park of Antigone is located near the village of Saraqinisht, east of Kumanovo. This park is 14 km away from Gjirokastër and was established by King Pyrrhus of Epirus in 295 BC. In the Antigone archaeological park are many attractions  mosaic pillars, promenade, an antique scale etc.

In the village of Labova e Kryqit, near the small town of Libohova, see the oldest and most beautiful Byzantine church in Albania, dedicated to Saint Mary. The church was built in a similar style to the Church of St. Sophia in Istanbul and remains one of the most special attractions of the city of Gjirokastër.

You can also visit the ancient Theatre of Hadrianapolis, dating back to the 2nd century BC, which is located near the village of Sofratik, about 14 km away from Gjirokastër, along the Highway.

As you come down the lane, you suddenly see a large square which is awesomely placed. Facing straight ahead of you is an incredible view of the mountain range. Being evening time, the sun’s rays are reflecting of the hills through the misty clouds. It’s a grand view which you rarely get to see – the road facing leads down to houses below. Behind me are the local restaurants – we had an excellent lunch in the appropriately named “Corner of the Bazaar” restaurant !!  

The UNESCO Medallion announcing the appointment of the city in the Heritage Category has a pride of place at the crossroads next to two monuments erected remembering the Resistance heroes. 

Described by the UNESCO World Heritage committee as “a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town, built by farmers of large estates,” Gjirokaster’s old town appears like a quaint fairy tale village.

We were now in the Old Town - The narrow stone-paved streets, the window box-lined balconies, and artisan work studios add to the idyllic setting. The old town area dates mainly between 17^th – 19^th C and known as the Old Bazaar. Woodworking artisans, local wine purveyors, and tourist trinkets can be discovered everywhere. We were really surprised to see the numerous pastry shops and ice-cream parlours. Locals seem to have a sweet tooth !   

This is the crux of the old town - where a few streets meet together. As they say, all roads lead here!! Its full of tourtist shops and a hive of activity even in the early tourist season when we were there. 

Gjirokastra's most interesting sight in no way relates to traditional architecture, but instead to a far more modern kind: this is a giant bunker built deep under the castle for use by the local authorities during the full-scale invasion that communist leader Enver Hoxha was so paranoid about. Built in secret during the 1960s, it has 80 rooms, its existence remained unknown to locals until the 1990s. Personal guided tours run from the tourist information booth on the main square all day. It's an interesting contrast to Tirana's Bunk'Art exhibitions : unlike the capital's version, this bunker is virtually empty and feels even more creepy as a result. The rooms have their use displayed on the door and nothing else, though it's interesting to note that the bunker – which could hold up to 300 people – had everything from its own classroom to a law court.

Whilst walking around the streets, we came across a shop front promoting the Cold War Tunnel and Iso-polyphony music. Intrigues, I went in, paid the fee and sat to watch a video. The film showed Albanian traditional instruments and esoteric figures floating around. After a few minutes, I got bored and got up as it was atonal and lacking vibrancy. The owner wanted me to go thru the Cold War Tunnel but I was reluctant. 

We found ourselves walking up a series of steps which turned out to be the top of Kodra Hill – from there, we got a phenomenal view of the whole old and new town as well as the surrounding countryside. A wonderful place to relax and have a few beers or wine. In the evenings, though we never went, the view must be quite something.

 

  

There are two traditional houses one can see. These are kept to let everyone know how Albanians lived in the pre-dictatorship era. Our guide suggested we visit Skenduli House as it was near to where we already were. Unlike the Zekate, it does not include a tour as the keeper speaks no English. Our guide spoke in Albanian to a tourist guide of an English speaking group already there, so we latched on to that group at no cost! The house is interesting. Rather rickety steep old stairs.

    

The building has 64 windows. Built of stone and layered with chestnut wood at the height of a male to keep the wall standing! We saw the bunker which has a double ceiling for strength. The public areas, like the mens’ drawing room, the ladies’ zenana, part of the kitchen, the cupboards etc reminded me of traditional Indian homes when joint families lived together and had a “happier” existence. The only part we were not allowed to photograph was the wedding chamber. The ceiling has two parts. The entry begins with a ceiling with one large rosette  under which the bride stands. Further into the room, which is lined with large horizontal cushions on settees (like in the other rooms), the ceiling has two rosettes. The to-be-married couple stand under these rosettes and the mullah (priest) does the formalities. Interesting building worth the ups and downs.   

As I got out, going towards the street, I suddenly saw the entry to a tunnel. Just see the old war supplies on sale sold by an entrepreneur shop keeper. Huge stocks of army surplus equipment  !!

Gjirokastër is also known for the art of cooking :: special dishes such as qifqi, pasha meatballs, shapkat, oshaf with dry figs (a dessert with sheep’s milk, sugar and dry figs). My friend Nirad, in charge of the culinary side for each meal had found a restaurant called The Barrels. It was a few kilometres out of town but as we had a car we decided to go, especially as it had its own vineyard. It was pitch black as there are no road lights in the countryside. We met the owner and he showed us his vineyard where he has grapes of different varieties – he gets about 10,000 bottles a year, if I recall correctly. The seating area was under the vine trees – gave privacy and a wonderful ambience. Nirad chose an excellent red and then we indulged in the local mezze platter, salad and the main course. The dessert came upto our expectations.  We began by sitting outside but the cold wind was chilling so we moved inwards and enjoyed the dinner. Definitely a place to be visited if you are there. 

It’s the fashion in Albania to name hotel properties as “Boutique hotels” - cute but totally erroneous in most cases. In Gjirokaster, the owners’ knowledge of English was very limited; but they were extremely polite and went out of their way to make us comfortable. They have only five rooms. I chose this property as the photos made it appear central and a decent place. Actually turned out to be on top of one of the many hills and a long long walk into the town. Without a car, you are doomed. There is a small bus service but it has rather limited timings. Here, they are holding a painting which I had gifted to them. 

Qifqi (cheef – chee). This dish is made by mixing cooked rice and whipped raw eggs with mint powder, black pepper, and salt. Formed into little balls, they are fried until lightly golden in color. Divine in taste

       

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A Journey through Tirana, Capital of Shqiperia

I did not want to apply for the Schengen visa, so I looked for countries which I could easily visit, minimum of hassles. I found two European countries accepting valid USA visas; so no Schengen visa needed - Shqiperia and Montenegro. Fantastic as I have always wanted to see Shqiperia and Montenegro, and here I could do both at one shot! These are countries on one’s bucket list but often forgotten!

I went to Shqiperia this summer in May. It’s a country which, like north Korea, has been isolated for decades due to its autocratic harsh communist dictatorship and its only in the mid 1990’s, that it became democratic and like all countries suddenly gaining freedom, went into economic decline for a decade. Now, the economy is doing well, there is a spurt of interest in tourism. So I decided to see it before it went the way of Santorini, Ibiza and other Greek / Italian / Spanish hotspots. This will happen as the beaches are pristine sand, unlike the pebbly beaches of Greece / Spain. The hotels are excellent – even 3 – 4 star ones and best of all there is not much traffic on the highways. There are no train services at all in the whole country. For us Indians,  the forex rate is 1:1 on average. The food is good as many of these guys went off to Italy and Greece in exile – to the extent that only 2 million remained and 9 million lived abroad due to voluntary and involuntary exile. Now with democracy, many have returned and there are many Italian and Greek places. I needed to see it before the noisy countrymen of mine and the camera wielding denizens of China came and it lost its beauty and rustic old fashioned charm!! 

Now ofcourse, you will be asking me: Where is this place, Shqiperia ? Well, think about it or you can see the attached map. Ignore the driving times shown.

When I told my friends that I was off to Albania – yes, the westernized name of Shqiperia - their immediate reaction was of crime and danger. 

 Everybody knows about the Albanian criminals being as dangerous as Sicilian mafia. Jokingly, I said that in an economically depressed country, there was not much opportunity, so the criminals had migrated to USA and Europe and theoretically it was now a safe place!

I spent 15 days there – normally in such isolated unknown countries, I would go with a group but I felt that at this age, I didn’t fancy getting up early and being out by 8,00 am sitting in a coach for a few hours. So, I hired a car and driver / guide. We toured the major spots across the country – see map at the end – and even went to Budva and Kotor in Montenegro for the day – rather an enjoyable trip. 

Tirana Arrivals Terminal reminded me of any Indian airport 20 years ago – small and friendly. It has a 3-4 immigration counters, quick processing, and four baggage conveyer belts, a police office and spotless toilet facilities. Then out. All of it basically in a large hall. Right outside, there are around 15 taxi / car hire companies all lined up on the right side.

There is a traffic jam getting out as there is only one exit. It was only when leaving Tirana, I saw the size of the airport from the outside. The building is huge and under construction. The departure area takes up over 65 – 70 % of the space. Lots of shops inside and a large café upstairs. But still only, I recall, 7 or 8 departure gates all in one line.

The journey to the centre took about 45 mins and we passed through agricultural countryside; with this imposing building about which the driver had no idea. The outskirts of Tirana were clean with low buildings and many new office blocks. 

My hotel was downtown – in the centre, five  minutes from the main Skanderbeg Square, bus station etc. It was small – just 16 rooms but extremely comfortable and the staff very helpful. A wide range for breakfast. Each floor apparently had different hotels, each with their separate entrances

I had planned the City walk for the next day in the morning, based on the weather prediction! So I went to the new market, about a 20 minute walk from my hotel, built in 1931 to accommodate the growing market. Its basically a large building in the centre of the square. Focus is on food products and culinary experiences. Surrounding the central building, are many restaurants offering traditional Albanian cuisine and handicraft shops. Concerts and events are held in this area.   

One notable feature in all Communist era countries are the vast open spaces in each town or city of a country. These were created for political gatherings, military displays and also for upcountry folk to walk around and see the huge buildings and monuments, and gawk at the wealth of locals.  Tirana has the huge Skanderbeg Square named after its national hero – he fought for the Turks who ruled Albania at one time and then revolted, joined forces with Albanians and threw the Turks out. As you stand in the square and look around you, one can see the various historical layers of the city – from the ancient mosque to the “Face” building. I was told that this area featured very busy multiple road traffic crossroads. In 2016, traffic was banned and the pedestrians only square created. The huge statue to Skanderbeg was erected in 1937 to mark the 500^th anniversary of his death. 

See the paving stones carefully in the square. Each village, city and region contributed the paving stones to show the togetherness of Albanian territories. A wonderful idea.    

The Skanderbeg Square has important buildings all around it. From the left, there is the Opera House which is closed for renovation. Left corner, we see the Clock Tower and the Et’hem Bey Mosque. Commissioned in 1822, the Clock Tower’s height was raised from 30 m to 35 m in 1928. It is a symbol of the Tirana Municipality. The Mosque is one of eight 18-19^th Century mosques that still stand today. Foundations were laid in 1794 and was finished in 1821. Each of the four facades are unique. Inside, there is a small prayer hall, The wall and ceilings are beautifully decorated and worth visiting.

Then, in front, is the famous statue and the Prime Minister’s house with all those paintings. Towards the right, is the Albanian National Bank and behind the Face building. That right corner leads to the Castle (which is no longer a castle) and shopping malls. Finally, behind us is the National Historical Museum – closed for renovation. Said to house over 6,000 exhibits, it’s the country’s largest museum. It has a huge 40 x 10 metres beautiful mosaic “Albania” depicting various local communities. 

Our tour guide Eri was excellent. Over 2.5 hours, he took us  across the whole central district. He is part of Free Tours Tirana, a company using red umbrellas as their identification symbol. Don’t hesitate in using them as they are really excellent. They are not free – they charge Euro 15 for the tour as a guide tip !! The pink coloured buildings behind the square are all Govt buildings.

Inside the “Castle” walls are excellent restaurants and some high end shops selling jewellery, pottery, handmade soaps etc.

     

Past the Vodafone bridge, we came to the Tirana Pyramid. Built by Hoxha’s children in his honour. There are four types of steps to the top – 119, 114, 109 and 136 steps. The last one, 136 steps, are the easiest to climb. Initially, it was  a museum from 1988 – 1991, and then a venue for various activities. Today, its transformed into the largest digital technology centre for youth in Albania.  

This is the Post Block Memorial – an installation reflecting on the totalitarian state. Three elements – concrete pillars from a prison known as the Albanian Auschwitz, a bunker representing the communist dictatorship, and a piece of the Berlin Wall.

The whole area around Hoxha’s house was off limits to ordinary citizens during his period. He built a house there, its architecture in the 1930’s style. It was a taboo subject forbidden for discussion. Today, that area known as Biloku (The Block) is full of cafes, luxury boutiques, restaurants, clubs for the youngsters. 

    

  

Luckily for me, Nirad Pandya, who has been my travel companion in Camargue / Provence / Yangtze cruise etc, came from USA and joined me for six days. It was perfect. I had planned the hotel bookings and itinerary and we hired the car and driver / guide from a tour company called Choose Balkans, whose executive Sirma Moila was a real gem. Very efficient and helpful, she spoke perfect English. Available at any hour, she resolved issues which we had initially with the car, the driver and other usual niggles. She is a tough negotiator and did not agree to reduce her rates despite all my pleas ! Overall, we were also lucky with the weather which was cold at times but stayed sunny for most days (we had one day of heavy rain) despite rain forecasts.

Albania is a beautiful country and go see it before the tourist hordes get there.  Thank you Nirad and Sirma for making it a memorable trip.  

Choose Balkans -- https://choosebalkans.com/ +355 69 880 1181

Text and photographs copyright of the author. No part of this article or photographs maybe transmitted or reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without written permission. Do contact the author on email -- helpthesun@gmail.com