Old Towns & Castles in Albania: Where to Walk and Climb

Berat old town is two riverside quarters, Mangalem and Gorica, with an inhabited castle above them. Here is how the pieces fit, how long to give each part and how to walk between them.

Berat's old town is its lanes: cobbled streets in Mangalem, the quieter Gorica side across the Osum, and the inhabited castle above. Here is how to walk them, which quarter to start in, and what the climb really involves.

Durrës old town is a compact knot of Roman ruins, Byzantine walls and Ottoman-era streets sitting between the port and the promenade. This guide lays out the quarters in walking order, explains what each sight actually is, and gives honest time budgets for a half day or a full day in the centre.

Durrës Castle is a fragment, not a fortress: one surviving tower and a stretch of wall, known to most visitors as the Venetian Tower. Here is what to see, how long it takes and how to pair it with the amphitheatre and museum nearby.

Elbasan Castle is a walled quarter in the middle of the city, not a ruin on a hill. You walk in through the gates, past the clock tower and cobbled lanes, and you are inside a neighbourhood that people still live in. Here is what to look for and how long it takes.

Elbasan old town is a compact grid of two crossing streets inside Roman-era walls, entered through the bazaar gate off Aqif Pasha Boulevard. Walk Xhaferr Kongoli Street to the King Mosque and the Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary, then follow the towers and passages along the western and southern walls.

Bashtova Castle is a 15th-century quadrangular fortress standing on flat ground beside the Shkumbin River in central Albania. Here is how the walls, gate and western section are laid out, what the coastal views take in, and how to approach via Vilë-Bashtovë.

The Old Bazaar, Qafa e Pazarit, is the commercial centre of Gjirokastër's old town, a radial grid of rebuilt Ottoman shops on a steep slope. Here is how the market is laid out, what artisans still sell, where to eat around it and what sits within a few minutes' walk.

Gjirokastër old town is a compact hillside of stone-roofed Ottoman houses and cobbled lanes below the castle, best walked from the bazaar upwards in stages. This guide covers the layout, the bazaar streets, the old houses, the climb to the castle, a sensible route and how much time to give it.

Himarë old town is the Kastro, the quarter on and around the castle hill, while Spilea is the coastal strip below it. Here is how the two halves fit together, how the climb works and how long a short circuit takes.

Porto Palermo is a sheltered bay between Himarë and Qeparo, with Ali Pasha's castle on a small peninsula and a calm beach below it. Plan it as a stop on the SH8: climb the castle for the view, swim in the bay, and allow under an hour for the castle or half a day if you want both.

Korçë's Old Bazaar is a working neighbourhood of stone-paved lanes, cafés and craft shops rather than a museum piece. Walk it for an hour, stop for coffee and lakror, and pair it with one museum.

Kruja Bazaar is not a square full of stalls but a single narrow cobbled street of Ottoman-style shops just below Kruja Castle. It sells filigree, woodwork, copper, carpets and clothing, and it slots neatly into the same short walk as the castle and its museums.

Krujë Castle is a ruined hilltop fortress above the town, with the Skanderbeg Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the remains of the Sultan Mehmed Fatih mosque and the Dollma Tekke inside its walls. Here is how the site is laid out, how long the climb and the museums take, and how to reach Krujë from Tirana by bus or car.

Krujë old town is one historic bazaar street climbing to a castle on the hill, with the Skanderbeg and Ethnographic museums on the same stretch. Half a day covers the street and the castle; a full day adds the climb to Sari Salltik. Here is how the pieces fit together, how to walk them in order and how the buses from Tirana work.

Lezhë Castle is a ruined hilltop fortress above the town, reached by a climb and best paired with Skanderbeg's grave in the centre. The walls, towers and wide views make the draw, and Shëngjin or the Patok lagoon fits into the rest of the day.

Pogradec Castle is a small ruined fortified settlement at the entrance to town, its walls set 205 metres above Lake Ohrid. Go for the archaeology in brief and the panorama over lake and town, allow an hour or so, and pair it with Drilon, Tushemisht or the Lin peninsula.

Saranda old town is a seafront core rather than a walled quarter: a long promenade, a walkable centre, the Kodrra shopping area and Lëkurësi Castle on the hill above. This guide sets out the layout, the walks, the beaches in town and how much time to give it.

Shkodër old town is compact and walkable: a pedestrian spine on Rruga Kolë Idromeno, a produce market off the big roundabout, a central mosque and a cluster of museums, with Rozafa Castle and Mesi Bridge sitting outside the centre and worth a separate trip.

The Shkodër Bazaar is a restored district of 18th and 19th-century Ottoman-era stone buildings, artisan workshops and cafés. Give it two hours, walk it slowly, and pair it with Rozafa Castle and the city's small museums.

Petrela Castle is a small hilltop fortress about 12 km from Tirana, looking over the Erzen valley from a hill 329 metres above sea level. Here is the layout you will walk around, the drive out along the Tirana–Elbasan road, and how to pair it with Preza and Persqopi.

Preza Castle is a free, open-all-year hilltop ruin roughly 20 km from Tirana, reached by the SH1 road. Expect four round corner towers, a vaulted gate that still serves as a mosque, a rebuilt clock tower and open views across the Tirana plain.

Tirana has no walled old town, so skip the hunt for a medieval quarter and walk the historic core instead: Skanderbeg Square, Et'hem Bey Mosque, the castle lanes, the Pazari i Ri bazaar and the Ottoman bridge by the Lana. This guide maps each part in walking order and says how long it takes.

Kanina Castle is a hilltop fortress above the village of Kaninë, roughly 6 km from Vlorë, with wide views over the bay, the city and the mountains. This guide covers the triangular walls and three gates, the ruins inside, the village and its Church of St. Mary, the climb, and how to fit it into a half-day from Vlorë.

Vlorë old town is a compact, restored quarter set inland from the beach strip, with a small square and two streets at its core. Walk it in an hour, then follow it downhill to the promenade.