Our last stop in Albania was a city called Gjirokastër. It sits surrounded by beautiful hazy mountains, close to the Adriatic Sea. We were there for two nights, and we did the usual walking around, taking pictures, getting food, and going for runs. A fun part about this city was the elevation gain we got each day. First of all, to get to our room in the apartment building we had to go up about one million stairs. When we first got there, the lady who met us said that the elevator was broken and we would have to climb five stories to get to the room. Eight floors later (and 114 steps), we were finally there! It took around two minutes to reach our room, which feels pretty long when the direction you’re going is straight up. Not only that, but to get to the main part of town with the cute buildings, yummy restaurants, and good views, we had to walk about fifteen minutes of uphill that ranged from gradual to super steep. All of this meant that if one of us forgot a water bottle or anything else at our apartment, we were not going back to get it. The runs were gorgeous, the view of the valley from the top of the city was also beautiful, and we found some great restaurants with super nice people. It was a great way to end our stay in Albania!
a view from our place, 114 steps up… a fascinating track although not totally useable currently
around Gjirokaster’s Old Town — another UNESCO World Heritage site:
well-preserved Ottoman-era architecture:
views at/around the Gjirokaster Castle:
All of your adventures are amazing! Love your descriptions and the journey of many steps to your apartment! Such handsome young men, What a great education you are getting, seeing and experiencing the world, with your lovely parents! Thank you for sharing this incredible blog.