3 - 3.5+ Hours
Daily Tour
Unlimited
English
Enjoy walking in the old part of Gjirokaster. Discover its history, life style, local goods and delights! Take chance to visit the old Bazaar, the most famous place of ancient Gjirokaster. Just listen to our professional, licensed guides, and experts on storytelling present you with historical information and narrate original handpicked stories, while you walk uphill and explore the unique landmark.
Take as much time as you need.
After visiting the old Bazaar, we’ll head to the famous castle of wars, legends and feasts Gjirokaster. The castle, which is undoubtedly one of the most magnificent structures of the city rocky hilltop, is one of the biggest in the Balkans. The castle overlooks the city and the beauty of the Drino Valley with the impressive mountain ranges on all sides. The initial constructions were raised by the Despots of Epirus, which were a branch of the Byzantine Empire. But the fortification’s fantasy book looks come from improvements made under Ottoman rule. The most recent of those being renovations and westward addition was done by Ali Pasha of Tepelena. Visit the Bektashi Turbe (tomb), Artillery Gallery, National Museum of Armaments, The prison, The American Airplane, Festival Stage. To continue with a panoramic view of the city we visit the Zekate house. The house, built in 1812, is said to be “one of the grandest example of Gjirokaster architecture in the Ottoman style. Fortified tower house, belonged to wealthy people, such as government officials or merchants. All rooms have a basic design: a safe ground floor with a wooden gallery on top, which are the most important rooms for an extended family. The decks are placed on the walls to help defend against the enemies they attack. Zekate’s house is an example of an urban fortify, it has two towers and a large double arch facade.
In this tour you will be able to have a full taste of Gjirokaster both culturally and historically. The tour lasts around 3 to 3:30 hours. The starting point of the tour is Bazar, the most iconic place of the entire city. In Bazar you will learn about the amazing architecture, It's amazing history, the artisans that are working there, and most importantly the awesome traditional food that Gjirokaster offers! After Bazar we will start our way to the castle. The entrance costs 400 ALL. Founded on the 6th century ad, above one of the largest hills of the city. From there we can have Gjirokaster at the palm of our hands! The castle holds many mysteries and histories, but let's not spoil anything yet, and go there to learn everything together. In the castle we can also visit the Gjirokaster history museum and the arms museum, the ticket for both is 250 ALL. In the arms museum we can see a collection of weapons, guns and artifacts used in warfare from antiquity, medieval ages, Napoleonic wars, the first world war, the second world war, the cold war. There we can also see the castle prison, built-in the 30s and used also during the communist regime. After the castle we will walk our way down, and up again to the Zekate house from the 19th century The entry price is 250ALL. One of the most beautiful traditional houses of Gjirokaster, a blend of the Ottoman architecture and the local taste . There we can also meet the members of the original lineage of the Zekate family. After seeing each and every single room of the house we can start our way back in bazar where the tour ends. All of this while walking on the cobblestone road, enjoying the beautiful view, taking cool pictures and learning about the amazing local culture and history from a local tour guide!
Member Since 2023
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