Gjirokastra region has a Mediterranean climate and as many as 300 days of sunshine a year. As soon as temperatures allow, the people stay outdoors. The whole region offers cultural tours, music festivals and night life, but also plenty of places to cool off...
People are rising up to protect Europe’s largest wild river—the Vjosa. This waterway runs untamed from source to sea, embracing a mosaic of habitats and cultures that have been tied to it for thousands of years. Vjosa Forever chronicles the ongoing struggle to secure...
The beautiful city of Gjirokastra welcomes you, now with a series of unique tours and experiences that you can find only in this UNESCO world heritage. What to do in the historic center We invite you for one-day and several-day tours and experiences in...
The situation with COVID 19 is still problematic in Albania. The number of people infected is rising . To see an update of daily cases please refer to the official website of Ministry of Health here. The vaccination process is continuing with older people...
By Llazar Semini (Associated Press) Seeing city streets in 2019 flooded by tourists enjoying its beauty was a dream come true for residents of Gjirokastra, a city in southern Albania recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Ottoman-period architecture. It ended precipitously...
Off the radar, wild and unspoiled: this is how Përmet , an ancient stone town located on the banks of the Vjosa, one of the most important and clear rivers of the Balkan peninsula , presents itself to visitors . A destination still far from mass tourism, an ideal...
Visit Gjirokastra Association (VGA) presented the tourism offer of the Region at the event “Regional linkages and cooperation in active tourism – key factor in the post-COVID-19 recovery period” organized by the USAID Project EDGE. The USAID Economic Development, Governance, and Enterprise Growth (EDGE)...
Winter time is magic if you enjoy the snow in Mountains of Gjirokastra region. This time we suggest to you a walking tour in the Mount of Nemercka, in Permet area. The tour starts in the city of Permet. We have to drive to...
Përmet city is an excellent option to spend a weekend or New Year Holidays. This is for two reasons: The food is more than delicious, and the table is full with the best food we Albanians serve for the New Year dinner. And second...
Gjirokastra is a city which can be visited every season. The amazing stone city, a UNESCO world Heritage, is inviting people to spend the festive month in its best restaurants and hotels, staying in cozy traditional rooms and enjoying best traditional food. Gjirokastra Bazar...
The Mayor of Tepelena, Mr. Termet Peci and the association Visit Gjirokastra, discussed today in a joint meeting the results of cooperation in the field of tourism, focused in the touristic products for the region, support for the tourism actors to improve services, efforts...
The Mayor of Tepelena, Mr. Termet Peci and the association Visit Gjirokastra, discussed today in a joint meeting the results of cooperation in the field of tourism, focused in the touristic products for the region, support for the tourism actors to improve services, efforts...
On 15 September 2020 in Gjirokastra a training course on Digital Marketing for tourism was organized by Visit Gjirokastra Association with the support of RisiAlbania. There were 20 participants taking part in the event, owners of hotels, restaurants, artisans’ shop, tourist guides and other...
Gjirokastra region is full of surprises in every season. Autumn is a perfect time not only for cultural tourism but also for rural tourism and culinary experience. You can still visit the cities of this region: Gjirokastra, Permet, Tepelena, Kelcyra, Libohova, but we strongly...
Although during the pandemic all events were canceled in Albania, in Përmet a new way was found to attract cultural life in areas with a large space and frequented by tourists. Two concerts in open space took place this summer in the thermal waters...
Swiss ambassador to Tirana Adrian Maitre visited Gjirokastra with his family on 23th July. Visit Gjirokastra association welcomed Mr Ambassador and presented all the work the association is doing to organize all tourism stakeholders of Gjirokastra region under one umbrella and to cooperate together...
Gjirokastra was declared a museum city in 1961 during the communist regime. It was good decision to preserve what is left in the city from the wars, invaders, and from degradation in years and decades. There were some restoration, the stone mosaics and some...
Can Gjirokastra be a model of sustainable tourism destination? This was the topic of a webinar organized by Visit-Gjirokastra association, with the support of RisiAlbania. The webinar aim was to introduce the criteria of Global Sustainable Tourism Council – GSTC and how these standards...
Tourism this year experienced an unusual stalemate, due to COVID 19 and as a result the only hope for tourism businesses was the domestic tourism. Many initiatives were launched throughout Albania by destination management organizations and tour operators, while Visit Gjirokastra, as a tourism...
The handicraft catalog for Gjirokastra region is available now, in two languages, and contains information for 49 women in Gjirokastra, who are working as artisans for many years, preserving tradition and cultural heritage. They have done this work not for profit, but initially to...
The city of Gjirokastra, Albania is one of the most magical places I have ever been. All research that I’d done prior to my arrival in Albania, was that many a person makes a day trip from Sarandë to Gjirokastra; but not so many...
Ministry of Tourism in cooperation with Ministry of Health in Albania are preparing the protocol for anti-Covid measures especially for accommodation sector. The document is addressed to collective tourism accommodation establishments such as hotels and similar establishments, holiday and other short-stay accommodation, and campsites....
If you dig under the stone streets of Gjirokastra you will find treasures. When Gjirokastra was declared a museum city by the communist regime in 1961, a large number of specialists, as well as volunteers and children, committed to maintaining the city and paving...
Gjirokastra, a city built in a mystic relieve, is always surprising. There are some narrow streets, hidden from everyone, which are difficult to find. One of them is Sokaku i Mezinateve. To go there you have to search in the labyrinth of tiny paths...
Visit Gjirokastra Association conducted a survey with touristic businesses of Gjirokastra region, including 7 municipalities, to understand their situation during the pandemic of Covid19. Visit Gjirokastra asked almost 50 businesses in the whole region, mostly hotels and restaurants, guest houses in rural areas, artisans,...
If you have ever visited Libohova, no doubt you have seen the huge plane tree in the center of the city, with giant branches and very big crown of leaves, while in its roots are flowing crystal waters coming from Bureto Mountain. It is...
Festa e Sulltan Novruzit festohet një javë mbas festës së Ditës së Verës, 22 – 25 mars. Ajo festohet për nder të lindjes së Profetit Imam Ali. Por, për shqiptarët i ka rrënjët nga koha e besimeve Pagane. Prandaj në Shqipërinë multifetare në të...
Current travel situation in Albania At the moment there are canceled all flights from Tirana to other destinations. The borders are closed. Please check for information at http://www.tirana-airport.com/ All ferry travels are cancelled. Albania is in totally lock down. Bar, restaurants, museums, galleries, theaters...
On 9 March in Gjirokastra was organized a B2B event between tourism businesses in Gjirokastra and 3 service providers in digital marketing sector The event was organized by Visit Gjirokastra association and supported by Risi Albania. The aim of this meeting was to see...
Albania until very recently has remained away from the tourist map . But now Albanians want to show themselves to the world and to teach their beauties, both cultural and natural. And it should be done before mass tourism discovers it. This is how...
Gjirokastra has its own unique aromatic herb. It is called manxurane, or ‘Origanum Majorana’. Every old gjirokastrian house cultivate this plant. If you go to old traditional houses, you can see this plant in balconies, or amid different flowers in the yard. The most...
Gjirokastra will have now a new yearly event, every 21th of February, – The Carnival DAY. For the first time after 90 years, Gjirokastra evoked an old traditional festive day. The city exploded with colors, decorations, funny masks and the happy voices of kids....
Viroi Park is linked underground with Skotini Cave, which is situated in Dropull area, 10 km distance from each other. There is a legend for Viroi Park and Skotini Cave. Once the women of Dropulli take the fresh water only in the Skotini Cave,...
Promoting Gjirokastra region as a one tourist destination, was the focus of the first Assembly meeting of Association Visit Gjirokastra, organized at Cajupi Hotel, on 28th January 2020. The aim of this meeting was to invite all the touristic businesses of Gjirokastra region, in...
The Guardian is dedicating a full article to one of the latest novel of Ismail Kadare, tittle “The Doll”. The book explores his relationship with his mother and bittersweet memories of homeplace Gjirokastra. Here is how article begins: “At first acquaintance, Ismail Kadare’s autobiographical...
Gjirokastra region is surrounded by mountains, beautiful forests, waterfalls, rivers and valleys. Hiking and climbing activities or walking amid beautiful nature are a great opportunity to combine culture tourism of UNESCO city, with nature tours. Many local tour operators are offering outdoors tours in...
There are 21 Reasons You Need To Visit Albania Before It Becomes Super Popular. Only if you like pristine beaches, mountain adventures, cheap drinks, and delicious food. According to BuzzFeed, an article of Jemima Skelley lists the places everyone should see while visiting Albania....
In October 2019, Equus team member Iris visited our partners in Albania and joined one of the last trail rides of the season (Ancient Mountain Trails). These are her impressions from this trail, taking place in the mountains near Gjirokastra, in the south. **...
Mashkullora Plane Tree is a famous tree in Albania, linked with a history of the battle of Albanian heroes Cerciz and Bajo Topulli in 18 March 1908 against ottomans. The battle of Mashkullora in Albanian history is considered as one of the most important...
He was the ruler of Janina and Southern Albania. Born in Beçisht, near Kelcyra. His father, Veli Bey and his grandfather Muhtar Bey, had ruled in Tepelena. Ali made a name for himself in early years as a bandit, and was affiliated with...
If you travel these days in south of Albania, don’t be surprised if you see flocks of sheep or goats passing massively on the streets. Behind them you will see shepherds in horses and dogs who accompany all these caravans. Don’t be stressed while...
The headlines are full of negative news about tourism and its destructive effects. Not only is it destroying top destinations, it’s also fueling unfair competition and informality in business practices. Yet, not everything is doom and gloom. Having a bottom-up partnership for managing tourism destination...
Mauro Mauri is an Italian journalist, who is in love with the city of Gjirokastra. It was very interesting to learn what are the reasons he visits so often this city, and especially the same hotel, which is not in good conditions today. Mauro...
Touristic businesses from Gjirokastra participated in the biggest Agricultural Fair in Albania, “Albania Works the Land” organized in Tirana by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development from November 16th -17th 2019. The event aimed to build networking channels between local farmers and agribusiness of...
Ali Pashe Tepelena was one most famous Albanian ruler in the years 1700- 1800. Despite his complicated figure in politics, he carried out considerable construction in both Epirus and Albania, including road building, bridges and castles, some of them are still resistant nowadays. The...
Tourism businesses of Gjirokastra exhibited at Philoxenia, a regional /international tourism fair in Thessaloniki, in Greece. Visit Gjirokastra Association Board invited tourism businesses of Gjirokastra to jointly participate under the stand of Visit Gjirokatra, and around 32 businesses embraced this initiative to be present...
Food and Agriculture World organization, FAO and Ministry of Agriculture of Albania started from Gjirokastra to promote the traditional products according to geographic characteristics in Albania. On 3rd November all producers from Gjirokastra region were gathered to Zekate House, one of the oldest houses...
The famous actor Leonardo Di Caprio is one of the most known activist worldwide regarding climate change. These days he dedicated a special post in Instagram to the River Vjosa, the wildest river in Europe. He mentioned that Albanian government is planing projects to...
Ismail Kadare, the most famous Albanian writer, had been named this month the 26th laureate of the renowned Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Awarded in alternating years with the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children’s Literature, the Neustadt Prize recognises outstanding literary merit in literature...
In the framework of strengthening and capacity building of Visit Gjirokastra Association, with the support of Risi Albania project, an international branding expert is contracted develop a branding and an association strategy for the region as well as to train members of association. Mr....
Bringing modern music, well known singers, different musical genre such a jazz, rock and roll, reggae in rural area has always been a topic for city event. But SOFAT festival is deemed to change this concept. Indeed, it brought life to two villages of...
St Triadha Castle is built during the reign of Ali Pashe Tepelena. It is located up to the hills in the end of Lunxheria region, north-east of Gjirokastra. The castle of St Triadha stands like a small ship, in a strategic position with the...
The Lesser Kestral is Back A spectacular show has just started this year in the southern part of Albania, where it is located the bulk of the Lesser Kestrel roosting sites. The first 80-100 individuals were observed, as expected, during last week on the...
Lazarat is a village with a long and ancient story. It has been inhabited since the Illyrian-roman times (30 000 year BC). It is the biggest village in Albania (4000ha) and is situated in the eastern slope of Mali i Gjerw, between Gjirokastra and...
Hey Holly Baxter @Independent. Yes, you got it right! Gjirokastra is not for everyone. Here you have some more reasons to affirm that. Don’t come to Gjirokastra if you have only a few hours to spend and all you want is to tick it in...
Oregano Day in Gjirokaster. How about to have a special day for each beautiful work the locals do? Oregano Day was celebrated in Gjirokastër in form of a hiking tour in the Mountain of Lunxheria. A number of women from Gjirokastra, and local women...
Gjirokastra is famous for its food. The delicious cuisine is the result of high quality and often organic ingredients prepared by talented cooks. The cuisine has distinct Ottoman roots with its use of local oils, spices, herbs and especially sauces. Gjirokastrans can produce many...
Gjirokastra is already known as a culture heritage destination. Being a UNESCO site, it is the most visited town in Albania for many decades. But Gjirokastra has much more to see and visit. We decided to travel in villages of Bureto Mountain, amid beautiful...
May is a perfect month to visit Gjirokastra. The weather is warm, and the days are longer. So in 24 hours you can see plenty of things if you wish. Here you have many day trips in Gjirokastra which are offered by local tour...
For the first time, a group of tourism stakeholders from Qarku of Gjirokastra (Gjirokastra, Permet & Tepelena) decided and agreed among each other to participate and promote their destination, Gjirokastra region, using the same brand “Visit Gjirokastra” under one stand at the Tirana International...
Public and private sector tourism stakeholders gathered in Gjirokastra to take a concrete step for the establishment of the tourism information portal for the Gjirokastra Region
Among the many specialists who worked on the cobblestone streets of Gjirokastra during communist time, Spiro Bezhani is certainly one of the most knowledgeable. Spiro is a living legend, and when he talks about the streets of his hometown Gjirokastra, he gets emotional. He...