Fodor's Expert Review Gjirokastra World Heritage Site

North of Sarandë, at 940 feet above sea level, this ancient city offers dramatic views as well as the opportunity to visit the fascinating Islamic Monastic Sufi Sect of Bektashi. Gjirokastra, where traces of human habitation dating back to the 1st century BC have been discovered, is located on the slopes of the Mali i Gjerë overlooking the Drinos River. The city was probably founded some time in the 12th century AD around a fortress on the hillside. Now a picturesque town with traditional houses, it has a medieval citadel that was converted into a prison under the Nazis and currently houses a weapons museum. The town was also home of the dictator Hoxha, who ruled Albania with a Stalinist-type regime for decades.