Must-SeeSight · LandmarkPaidOutdoorsGood for Kids

Gjirokastër Castle

One of the largest castles in the Balkans, with a museum of arms and a captured American spy plane on its ramparts.

Photo: ShkelzenRexha · CC BY-SA 4.0
Open
Every day
Price
Paid
Time Needed
1½ hours
Address
Kalaja, GjirokastërDirections
Getting There
A steep 15-minute walk up from the old bazaar.

Why Go

The fortress dates from the 12th century and was enlarged by the Ottoman ruler Ali Pasha. Its vaulted galleries hold old cannons and tanks; a US Air Force plane that landed in Albania in 1957 sits on the walls, displayed by the communist regime as a trophy.

Every few years the castle hosts Albania's national folk festival.

Nearby in Gjirokastër

Skenduli House8 min walk · Must-SeeOld Bazaar17 min walk · Must-See

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