Gjirokastër
From Wikitravel
Gjirokaster is in Albania.
[edit] Get in
The primary Regional Bus & Furgon Station in Gjirokaster is located at the entrance to the town, on the NW corner where the town's main boulevard intersects the National Road. It's less of a "bus station" and more of a collective gathering place for buses and furgons (shared minibuses) along the shoulder of the road. From here you can catch northbound buses to Tirana, Vlore, Fier, Berat, Tepelene, Korce, Permet, and southbound buses to Sarandë, as well as international buses direct to Ioannina (5 Euro/ 7AM departure) and Athens (20 Euro/ 8:30PM departure) in Greece.
Buses depart every day on the route Sarandë - Gjirokastër (250 leke) stopping hourly at the bottom of the hill until the early afternoon. Buses and minibuses are going to Tirana (1000 leke) every hour from around 7AM until 12noon, then there is a bus at 2PM and a night bus leaving at 11PM (it arrives in Tirane at 5:45AM near Skanderbeg Square).
Transportation and other tourism information is available from the employees of the Tourism Information Center (TIC), located in the old town, on the left side of the road leading towards the castle.
[edit] Get around
Gjirokastër can be divided into roughly two halves, the old town up on the hill, and the new town in the valley below. You can walk just about anywhere if you're able to handle the steep cobbled streets. Taxis are cheap and there is a public bus circuit that connects the old town and the new town for about 30 leke. From the roundabout at the center of town to the bus station on the National Road is a fairly flat, easy, 10 minute walk along the main boulevard. Taxis will make this trip for around 200 leke.
[edit][add listing] See
- Gjirokastër Castle at the top of the hill, 200 leke entrance. It is billed as the second largest castle in the Balkans, and is worth a look. Wappens Museum in castle 200 Leke entrance: the main gallery is eerily lit (or not) and contains two columns of large field guns, remnants of WWII.
- Ethnographic museum once Enver Hoxha's house, is a well-restored Ottoman house which displays clothing, kitchenware, tools and other cultural artifacts. The entrance fee is 200 and includes a guided tour (available in Albanian, English, and German though availability should be checked in advance.
- Old bazaar and historic Ottoman homes Several of which are at various levels of restoration and are open to the public. The Zekate house is the most visited of these.
[edit][add listing] Do
[edit][add listing] Buy
[edit][add listing] Eat
Gjirokastër is known for it's Qifqi (baked dish made of rice, egg, and seasonings). The city is also well known for its dairy products, especially its white cheese.
There are a number of well established restaurants in Gjirokastër catering to tourists and the local crowd.
OLD TOWN: Fantazia, Kujtim's, Festivali, The newly rennovated Çajupi Hotel's Terrace Restaurant, The Byrek Shop, Muço's Suflaç & Restaurant (good omlettes in the morning), Hajri's Coffee Bar, Sopoti Cafe...
NEW TOWN: Kufoi's, Pizza Del Fuego, WIDE - "the best Suflaç in Gjirokastër", Antigone Fast Food Suflaç, Suflaç at the Hotel One Restaurant, and Modus Cafe for coffee...
[edit][add listing] Drink
[edit][add listing] Sleep
- Kotoni Bed&Breakfast, (vitakotoni@yahoo.com), [1]. The first Guest House in Gjirokastra, since 1992, comes up with more traditional rooms and a characteristic restaurant. Each room has coloured satelite Tv, bathroom, heating. Located 200 meters far from the old bazaar, you can have a great view of the old and new part of the town. For more information please visit www.bb-kotoni.com. edit
- Hashorva Guesthouse. The Hashorva Family, a well established name in the Lagjia Varosh Neighborhood, offering one very large, faithfully restored traditional Ottoman Era room, with bed and sitting area. The house itself is over 200 years old and is kept in wonderful condition by its original owners. Naturally cool in the summer, the guest bathroom is located off the main hallway with 24 hour hot water and modern facilities. Located in the heart of Gjirokastër, an easy 5 to 15 minutes walk from all the major sites of Historic Old Town and 10 minutes walk to the new town and the Bus station on the National Road. The large guest room is 25 Euro/night - it has a large double bed, a single bed off to the side. (Payment can be made by cash only in Albanian lek, Euros or US Dollars.)
[edit] Get out
- Sofratike site of ancient theater and baths
- Labove home of one of the oldest standing Orthodox churches in the Balkans
- Tepelene the fortress of Ali Pasha.
- The Illyrian city of Antigone is located near the village of Asim Zeneli, which is roughly 6km East of Gjirokaster. This village is the starting point of a 3 hour round trip hike to the ruins of Antigone; it makes a nice day hike for the physically fit (you will want to hire a local shepherd as a guide).
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[edit] Contact
[edit] Internet
There are a number of internet cafes in Gjirokastër which usually charge no more than 100 Lek per hour. There are also a few cafes which provide free wireless:
- Bar Karamel
- Bar Grand
- Hotel Çajupi
