Gjirokastėr (Albanian: Gjirokastėr or Gjirokastra, Greek: Argyrokastron or Girokastron) is a city in southern Albania at 40.08°N, 20.15°E with a population of around 30,000 (including some Greek minorities). It is an ancient city with old settlement traces dating back to the 1st century BC. Gjirokastėr is located on the hills of the Wide Mountain (Mali i Gjerė). At one point the city was a castle (Castle of Gjirokastėr) and then it began to grow with buildings springing up on the hills around the castle walls.
During the 13th century it was known as Argyropolis, the City of Argyro (i.e. the silver city) or Argyrokastron (i.e. the silver castle). In the 14th century it was part of the Despotate of Epirus and in 1417 it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The houses in Gjirokastėr have a distinguished Albanian style. Gjirokastėr also features an old bazaar which was originally built in the 17th century, but that had to be rebuilt in the 19th after it was set on fire. During the 19th century, Gjirokastėr was central to the Albanian liberation movement as it hosted the Assembly of Gjirokastėr in 1880. The city was developed after World War II and it is today an economic, educational and cultural center of southern Albania. There are over 20 museums in Gjirokastėr today and it is also the city of the National Folk Festival.
While Gjirokaster got the brunt of the damage during countrywide rioting in 1997, it remains a museum quality town.
Deemed the town of a thousand stairs, Gjirokaster climbs up the Gjere mountain and offers beautiful views of the Drino river valley.
Taking a design cue from this massive structure, a majority of the homes were built like mini-fortresses to protect families from the blood feuds that were common before the 20th century.
From this hotel you can see the old and new part of the city.
Be sure to visit the 11th-century citadel, which has a stunning view of the countryside, as well as the interesting Ethnographic Museum in the home that was the birthplace of Enver Hoxha.
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