natural wonder
Blue Eye Spring (Syri i Kaltër)
A mesmerizing natural spring of impossibly deep blue water bubbling up from an underground cave at a depth of over 50 meters.
18 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeAlbaniaGjirokastër County
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër County, Albania · Europe
About Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër works well as a base: 15 minutes from Odrie, 18km from Blue Eye Spring (Syri i Kaltër).
Gjirokastër is in Gjirokastër County, Albania, with about 23,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Odrie, about 7 km away.
Gjirokastër (Albanian: [ɟiɾoˈkastəɾ, -tɾa], Albanian definite form: Gjirokastra) is a city in southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. Its old town is a UNESCO World HeritageRead more
Site. The city is overlooked by Gjirokastër Fortress, where the Gjirokastër National Folk Festival is held every five years. It is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader Enver Hoxha, and author Ismail Kadare.
The city appears in the historical record dating back in 1336 by its medieval Greek name, Αργυρόκαστρο, Argyrókastro, as part of the Byzantine Empire. It first developed in the hill where the Gjirokastër Fortress is located. In this period, Gjirokastër was contested between the Despotate of Epirus and the Albanian clan of Zenebishi under Gjon Zenebishi who made it his capital in 1417. It was taken by the Ottomans in 1418, a year after's Gjon's death, and it became the seat of the Sanjak of Albania. Throughout the Ottoman era, Gjirokastër was officially known in Ottoman Turkish as Ergiri and also Ergiri Kasrı. During the Ottoman period conversions to Islam and an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside made Gjirokastër go from being an overwhelmingly Christian city in the 16th century into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century. Gjirokastër also became a major religious centre for Bektashi Sufism.
Taken by the Hellenic Army during the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, Gjirokastër was eventually incorporated into the newly independent state of Albania in 1913. The local Greek population rebelled and established the short-lived Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in 1914 with Gjirokastër as its capital. During the communist period, Gjirokastër was designated a "museum city" due to its architectural heritage. In more recent years, the city witnessed anti-government protests that led to the 1997 Albanian civil unrest. Besides Albanians, who constitute the majority, the city is also home to a substantial Greek minority, and some Aromanians, Romani and Balkan Egyptians. The city is a centre for the Greek minority in Albania.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Gjirokastër?
Within an hour or so of Gjirokastër: Blue Eye Spring (Syri i Kaltër) (18 km), Albanian Riviera (25 km), Vjosa Wild River National Park (25 km), Porto Palermo Castle (30 km).
Are there any good drives near Gjirokastër?
The nearest famous roads are Albanian Riviera Coastal Road, Katara Pass and Galičica Pass Road.
Where is Gjirokastër?
Gjirokastër is in Gjirokastër County, Albania, about 7 km from Odrie.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 23,437
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Albania
- Region
- Gjirokastër County
- Timezone
- Europe/Tirane
- Coordinates
- 40.0758, 20.1389
Tags
Worth the detour from Gjirokastër
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
beach
Albanian Riviera
Unspoiled stretch of Ionian coastline with turquoise waters, secluded beaches, and charming villages between Vlorë and Sarandë.
25 km · about 30 min drive
national park
Vjosa Wild River National Park
Europe's first wild river national park protects the free-flowing, braided turquoise Vjosa; the SH75 around Përmet shadows the river through some of Albania's finest mountain scenery.
25 km · about 30 min drive
castle
Porto Palermo Castle
A triangular 19th-century Ali Pasha fortress on a causeway peninsula in a sheltered bay, just off the SH8 south of Himarë.
30 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Bënjë Thermal Baths
Free open-air hot springs beside the Ottoman-era Katiu Bridge at the mouth of the Lengarica Canyon near Përmet: half a dozen stone-ringed pools around 26-30°C, soakable year-round with canyon walls rising behind.
31 km · about 35 min drive
beach
Himara
A charming coastal town on the Albanian Riviera with a Greek-influenced old quarter perched on a hilltop above pristine Ionian beaches.
33 km · about 40 min drive
beach
Ksamil Islands
Tiny islets ringed by powder-white sand and Caribbean-clear water at the southern tip of Albania.
36 km · about 40 min drive
beach
Ksamil
Albania's most famous beach destination with crystal-clear turquoise waters and tiny islands reachable by swimming, rivaling the Caribbean.
37 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Gjirokastër
- 42 kmAlbanian Riviera Coastal RoadThe SH8 coastal route between Dhërmi and Sarandë, running above Ionian beaches and cliffside villages with frequent pull-ins.
- 49 kmLlogara PassA dramatic mountain pass along the Albanian Riviera at 1,027 meters, offering jaw-dropping aerial views of the Ionian coastline far below.
- 59 kmKokkorou Bridge, ZagoriA graceful single-arch stone bridge over a clear river epitomises Zagori's old packhorse crossings.
- 79 kmLake Pamvotida, IoanninaA misty lake with an island monastery and lakeside castle ringed by the Epirus mountains.
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