Just like my sugary, bus-station lemon tea, Gjirokaster is steep. I got dropped off on the side of the main, flat road. This is where you will find a Lidl, a Credins Bank atm that doesn’t charge fees and good restaurants with decent prices.
Once you begin scaling the mountain to your accommodation (assuming you’re staying in the old town), there is no going back. Expect overpriced supermarkets and sub-par food.
You’ve been warned.
Making my way up the incline (still have yet to use y=mx+b), I noticed through my ragged breath and tear-filled eyes that everyone has grape vines in their backyards, which to me constitutes as vineyards. I really appreciate that. Speaking of wine, I like it.
There is a winery near Gjirokaster that you could do a half-day trip to for for 35 euros (apparently Albanian wine is good?). Instead, I didn’t do that and I went to a bar and bought a glass of wine that may not have been Albanian. Same, same but different.
I stayed at Sokaku I Te Mareve Guesthouse. It was lovely and the breakfast grand. The pool was under renovations when I was there, but I’m sure it’s filled with water by now.
eat
I ate all my meals at Taverna Labëria. The smell of meat roasting on the spits was like a siren calling to me. Also, my friend who tries to out-cheap me told me it was the best price/ quality restaurant in the area, and so it was.
I went into Star Supermarket and hot damn those prices. I recommend just to go even if you don’t buy anything. You can make an afternoon out of gasping how cheap things are compared to your home country.
It’s the little things in life.
cheap things to do in Gjirokaster
The old town crossroad is cute.
The hike to the Ali Pasha Bridge is a goodie. Especially when I decided to take an unmarked goat trail back to the town. At one point I thought there was undiscovered mines buried so I was going to get blown up (don’t ask), but it was great exercise.
I didn’t pay to go in the castle nor get anywhere near it. People told me it wasn’t worth the money.
Skenduli House and Zekate House look nice from the outside. You are correct in assuming I didn’t pay to go inside.
I feel like 99% of my budget travel tips is just not paying to go into things and you’d be absolutely right.
travel to Durres from Gjirokaster
I went to Durres, Albania to catch the overnight ferry to Italy. Why Italy? because they have trains and I had an Eurail pass that I already invested my left kidney to acquire.
I hate wasting money.
The Gjirokaster bus station is by the petrol station by the main road. If you remember correctly, I originally got dropped off on the side of the road. For the first time, I couldn’t buy a ticket from the driver; I needed to go inside this wee building behind/ beside the station. There was assigned seating in this van. Fancy schmancy.
Now let me tell you about Durres.
