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25 September 2026
High in the hills of southern Albania, the town of Gjirokastër appears to rise out of the mountain itself.
Its steep streets are paved with stone. Its old houses have distinctive stone roofs, and many seem to climb the hillside one above another.
There is little softness in the architecture.
It was built for a mountainous place where houses had to withstand weather and adapt to the slope. The result is a town that feels remarkably different from many European historic centres.
Gjirokastër is sometimes called the “Stone City,” and UNESCO inscribed its historic centre as a World Heritage site in 2005. The organisation describes it as a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman-era town, shaped by a long tradition of Balkan vernacular architecture. (whc.unesco.org)
But what stays with a visitor is not necessarily its history.
It is the feeling of walking uphill between old stone walls, looking across rooftops and wondering how many generations have walked the same streets.
Some places announce their history with monuments.
Gjirokastër seems to have built its history into every wall.
#Albania #Gjirokaster #Europe #RajatChandraSarmah
Rajat Chandra Sarmah, Guwahati, Assam, India, Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5, YouTube: conversewithasmile, email rajatchandrasarmah@gmail.com
