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🏨 HOTEL ARGJIRO: / hotelargjiro
🍴 HOTEL KODRA: / hotel_kodra
🏠 SKENDULI HOUSE: / skenduli_house
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My eleventh day in the beautiful Balkan country of Albania began in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Gjirokastër. Come along with me as I try Albanian food and visit UNESCO attractions in Gjirokastër, Albania!
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My day began at Hotel Argjiro in Gjirokastër. My boy Erjan from Travel Media EU and I started with a massive breakfast on the second-floor terrace. The pispili (a spinach and corn pie casserole was fluffy, like a quiche! I also had eggs and some phenomenal bacon and a doughy byrek with goat cheese inside. The sweet fig marmalade was perfect with the crispy, hollow petulla.
Next, we headed through the bazaar, uphill toward the castle. Along the way, we checked out a Cold War bunker and saw several vendors, including a woman selling fresh figs, blackberries, and mountain tea!
Then, we arrived at the castle. Inside is a map of the castle. There are Italian and German cannons from WWII along the corridor and an Italian Fiat L6/40 tank!
Further along is a garden terrace where you can see stunning views of Gjirokastër.
There’s also a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star U.S. Air Force plane.
Then, we headed to the clock tower. On the way is a big square and stage where a traditional festival is held. At the end of the castle is the 18th-century clock tower and a plaque telling the story of Princess Argjiro, who jumped from the top of the castle with her baby so they wouldn’t be captured by Ottoman invaders in the 15th century.
In the bazaar, we stopped at a handicraft shop where a man makes beautiful stone carvings with a hammer and chisel. I bought two: one of the eagle on the Albanian flag for my office and a square one for my assistant for 20 Euros/$23.45 USD.
Next, we visited a woodcarving shop, which is another specialty in Gjirokastër. I bought two name plates for my daughters. They’re beautiful gifts! I also bought the double Albanian eagle for 3,000 lekes total, or about $30 USD.
Further on is Edua, another shop, where they sell artisanal goods including mountain tea, oil, liquors, and more! I tried some strong rakija and bought some honey and artisanal soap for 1,000 lekes/roughly $10 USD.
Next, we visited a traditional building that was being renovated and then walked to Bar Restorant Hotel Kodra. In the kitchen, they prepared a Gjirokastër chicken tava dish with green peppers, tomatoes, goat cheese, herbs, cream, and onions.
On the terrace, Erjan and I toasted with some smoky rakija and then started on the tava! We also had a huge salad with parmesan cheese, mushrooms, cucumbers, spinach, balsamic vinegar, oil, and raisins. The salad was crunchy and fresh and perfect for a hot day!
The tava was super creamy and full of yummy herbs. It was my first chicken tava in Albania. The herbs brought out so much flavor! It was even better with some crunchy focaccia bread.
We ended with a creamy dessert called oshaf, which is made with sheep milk and fig juice. It’s super thick and creamy and reminded me of panna cotta. I loved the cinnamon in it!
Our final stop was an 18th century home to see how life used to be in Gjirokastër. It’s called Skenduli House. There’s a courtyard and a first level where the family would cook for themselves and their animal. The second level was their winter room and the top room was for the summer. It’s a beautiful, amazing house. What a stunning piece of history that’s still alive today!
Where have you been?
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About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann. For the last 12 years, I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food, and history! Since starting David’s Been Here in 2008, I have traveled to over 1,100 destinations in 77 countries, which I welcome you to check out on my KZfaq channel, travel blog, and social media sites.
I focus a great deal on food and historical sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, from casual street food to gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning about the local history and culture.
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