Travel Itinerary

Locals queue for buttery kabuni (rice with caramelised sugar) and cinnamon rolls—grab some for the road.

Begin the gentle riverside walk below the fortress, following watermills to the 19th-century stone bridge.

Unwrap your pastries here; the sound of the Drino and the view of the arch make the perfect picnic stop.

Return to cobbled streets for fasule me mish (white-bean & beef stew) baked in wood-fired clay pots.

A quiet back-garden café serving hand-drip single-origin and citrus-scented lokum.

Five-course modern take on Gjirokastër classics—think sous-vide goat with pomegranate molasses—served in a candlelit Ottoman mansion.

Grandmother-style mamafli (cornmeal porridge) drizzled with local honey—stick-to-your-ribs goodness before exploring.

Friday-only market: stock up on wild-harvested mountain tea, sheqerpare cookies and sticky walnuts in grape syrup.

End your foodie weekend with panoramic views and a clove-infused raki mojito as the stone roofs glow in the setting sun.