Cooking, Crafts and Rides in Gjirokaster

Wet or dry, there is something to do in Gjirokaster. The town splits neatly into indoor pursuits for bad weather and outdoor ones for a clear day, and the two halves are described below. Money is the Albanian lek (ALL), and the small desks and workshops here rarely take cards.

When it rains

Learn to cook qifqi. The Gjirokaster specialty is qifqi, balls of rice, herbs and egg fried in a cast-iron mould. Kalemi Travel and Tours advertises a 2-hour “Cook Like a Local” session in the Old Bazaar, and Cook with Marjeta advertises classes at 12:00 or 18:00 every day. Confirm prices when you enquire, because listings change.

Watch a craftsman at work. The Old Bazaar has a stone-carving workshop run by “Master Ermal”, where a hands-on experience starts at about 1,000 ALL. The woodcarver Anastas Petridhi has a shop in the bazaar too. Muhedin Makri’s shop is also on the official list, though it may not be open when you pass.

Go underground. The Cold War Tunnel is about 800 m long with 59 rooms, built in secret in the early 1970s. A guide leads each visit, which takes 20 to 30 minutes and costs about 200 ALL. The mood is sober, so treat it as a museum rather than a thrill.

Step inside a house. Zekate House (about 300 ALL) and Skënduli House (about 200 to 300 ALL) are two tower houses built in 1811 to 1812 and in 1823. Zekate has no electric light, so go early.

When the sky is clear

Ride up above the valley. Caravan Horse Riding Albania has stables above Asim Zeneli, about 15 minutes from the old town by car. A 2.5-hour lakeside ride is listed at about EUR 50 per person, and a 3-hour ride runs through the Drino Valley. Check the weight limit of about 90 kg on some rides.

Look at the Blue Eye. The spring is about 35 km away and costs about 50 ALL to enter. Swimming is banned because the water is only 10 to 13 degrees C, very deep and fast at its source.

Walk by the water at Viroi. Viroi Lake spring park lies about 3 km north of town. Find out what is open before you set out, and treat it as a stroll rather than a swim.

Climb to the castle. The ticket is about 400 ALL, and the climb on uneven stone takes 1.5 to 2 hours with the views. Part of the complex was a prison in the 20th century, including the communist period, so lower your voice there.

Not on the list

Rafting belongs to the Vjosa river at Përmet, about 60 km away, where Class III trips start from about EUR 25 to 35. The castle walls are a protected monument, so no climbing routes exist on them.

Reading the official advice

Neither the UK nor the US travel advice names Gjirokaster. Both are worth a read before you travel, starting with the UK page for Albania , and its note on road deaths applies to the hill roads you will use.

Search the cooking class and tour listings on Viator , and read the cancellation terms first.

Read more: sightseeing , day trips and the 3 day Albania itinerary .