Tourist visits to Gjirokastër Castle for the period February 1 – February 28, 2023 have been increasing compared to the same period a year ago.

The Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Gjirokastër announces that 1,745 visitors were registered this February or 895 more visitors than during the same period in 2022.

Gjirokastër Castle is one of the largest in the Balkans and remains the main tourist attraction of the city. Like a huge stone ship, it spans for 335 meters. The castle is located on the hill from where the whole city and the valley of river Drinos can be seen, as a witness the history of the whole region over the centuries.

Archaeological discoveries in the area of the castle show that this place has been inhabited since the 4th-5th century. According to historians, the first walls of this fortification may have been built after the fall of Adrianopolis. But existing walls were built in the 12th-13th century. The castle was originally built as a typical feudal property of the time, by wealthy families who wanted to be safe and protected from various wars. It later turned into a residential center for many other families.

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