Our last day in Albania sees us driving to Gjirokaster, the stone city. It is so named for the old town buildings built in stone with stone roofs. The origins of the city date back to the 5th century AD but the castle was built in the 9th century AD. It is a steady climb from the car park to the bazaar which is now a pretty network of pedestrian only streets catering to tourists with cafes, bars and souvenir shops.
A brooding fortress looms high above us and dominates the landscape. It is a stiff climb but the views from the rampart are well worth the effort. Apart from its role as a fortress it has a darker recent past. Under communist rule the evil dictator Enver Hoxha used it as a prison to interrogate, torture and incarcerate political prisoners
