Welcome to the old city of Gjirokastra
The city of Gjirokastra is 232 km from Tirana. It is situated in southern Albania, 31 km from Greek Border at Kakavija, and 56 km from the seaside city of Saranda. Gjirokastra is a steep city, extending from the floor of the Drino Valley, up the east face of Mali i Gjere. The city is the center of Gjirokastra District, which includes the town of Libohova. It includes also the communes of Antigone, Lower Dropull, Upper Dropull, Lazarat, Lunxheria, Odrie, Picar, Pogon, and Zagori.
Gjirokastra County is much bigger, encompassing Permet, Tepelena, Memaliaj, and Kelcyra. The region’s different religions, including Islam, Bektashi, Eastern Orthodox, and Roman Catholic, live in perfect harmony. Ethnically, the majority is of course Albanian. However the region has a substantial Greek minority and smaller communities of Vlach and Roma.
