Description

In this tour you will get acquainted with the old town of Gjirokastra, characteristic houses, artisan workshops, photos with traditional clothing, memorable dinners with folk music where you can learn our songs and dances, tastes of typical cuisine. Walking in nature, visiting cultural sites, picnic and experiencing village life.

Tour 3 days / 2 nights, all included

Day 1:

The tour departs from the main square of the city “Cerciz Square” in Gjirokastra, where professional guides will be waiting for you. The visit begins with the medieval old town as one of the richest and most interesting cultural centers. You will have the opportunity to meet different artisans in their workshops that develop old professions inherited from one generation to the next. You will visit the castle of Argjiro built in the 13th century as the center of Albanian feudal lords and the museum of weapons inside it. We will walk up to the “Sokaku I te marreve” (The Street of the Mad Men) to the museum house internationally known writer Ismail Kadare. You will feel the main character of the book dedicated to Gjirokastra “The Chronicle in stones”. Once you are familiar with the city, you might want to look as a Gjirokastrian. The traditional clothing craft will be waiting for you in its atelier to create the most fun memory that will last forever. A professional photo printed, with aristocratic red satin dress embroidered with gold or men’s 500-leaf mannequin.

The visit for the first day will end in 3 hours where you will be accommodated in one of the characteristic houses turned into a hotel in the historic center.

Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant where you will enjoy the typical dishes of Gjirokastra such as qifqi (rice ball with herbs ), sarmata, qahi (cabbage pie) and a variety of seasonal flavours. During the dinner you will have the opportunity to have fun learning the polyphonic song and the elegant traditional dance from 3 pairs of artists of the polyphonic group Lunxhëria, who have been awarded first prizes in national and international festivals since 1974.

Day 2:

After an energetic breakfast with pancakes, honey and tea we will set off for an adventure in the beauties of the historic villages of the area. The meeting with the guide will take place again at the main square (100m from the hotel) and the start of the itinerary with the vehicle made available towards the village of Asim Zeneli, where the first stop will be made. From here begins the most fun part of the day, we will walk for about 1 hour and 30 minutes along the valley, in Gjinofshat a small village with all greenery until in front of us will be discovered the ruins of Atigone, built the III century BC.by King Pirro in the name of love for his wife.
The group will rest in the shade of the trees for about 1 hour where a picnic lunch will be organized with foods that will be prepared for you such as pies, dairy, cornbread, garden tomatoes, vegetables and seasonal fruits.

After the break we will visit the ruins of the city and we will resume the drive to Labova e Kryqit for a Turkish coffee in the village bar. There will be visited the Byzantine church of St. Mary, one of the oldest in Albania. After the break, the group resumes the trip to Libohova where Sava is waiting for us at her guesthouse on the hill.

During the afternoon you will gather vegetables, salad and fruits in the home garden to prepare dinner with the flavors of the area. Homemade brandy, toast and hilarious stories will accompany your evening.

Day 3:

After a hearty breakfast you will have the opportunity to visit the castle of Libohova, built by Ali Pasha as a gift for his sister Shanisha and a short coffee stop at the bar in the center of Libohova under the shade of the 560-year-old maple natural monument.

The tour ends where it departed, at Cerciz Square, after greeting your guide.