Gjirokastër

Gjirokastër's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, is one of the few surviving examples of an Ottoman-era trading town in the Balkans, its stone architecture rising through a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino river. The city's fortress, Gjirokastër Fortress, hosts the National Folk Festival every five years and overlooks a walkable centre with churches, cafés, and scenic viewpoints. It is the birthplace of both communist leader Enver Hoxha and novelist Ismail Kadare.

• Population23,437
• Nearest water1.0 km
• Nearest mountain6.2 km
• UNESCO within 50 km2