Gjirokastër Castle

Rising over Gjirokastër's UNESCO-listed stone rooftops, this twelfth-century fortress is one of Albania's largest hilltop castles, its corridors lined with old military hardware and a clock tower watching over the valley below. Entry runs 400 lek, with the small museum inside another 200 — worth it for the Ottoman-era pieces, though most visitors linger longest on the open ramparts, where the stone stays cool even under summer sun. Every five years the fortress hosts Albania's national folklore festival, and with over 12,000 Google reviews averaging 4.6, it is the country's most visited castle.

Built

AD 12th

Built by

Byzantine

Era

Medieval-Ottoman

Status

UNESCO