The ancient walls
From the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
Telemak GOGA — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Telemak GOGA — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Telemak GOGA — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Telemak GOGA — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Telemak GOGA — CC BY-SA 4.0
Himarë Castle, known locally as Kastro, is a fortified old town above Himarë on the Albanian Riviera and one of the area's main sights. Its stone lanes, small churches and views of the Ionian Sea offer a break from the busy beaches below. It seems to be among the earliest Chaonian fortifications, with ancient walls probably dating to the 5th and 4th centuries BC. It has stayed inhabited through the ages, with parts falling empty over time, and the area is home to a community speaking Greek and Albanian. A local legend says the missionary Kosmas visited in 1779 and proposed pulling down part of a church to build a school. Inside the walls are several Orthodox churches, including Panagia Kassopitra, which preserves part of the old western wall, the Church of All Saints and the 13th-century Church of St Michael. You will also see the old mansion of Spyros Spyromilios and stone houses, some ruined and some still lived in. It is 44 km in a straight line from Vlorë and 900 m from Himarë beach. The road up is narrow, so leave the car where you can and walk, in good shoes. The light is best at sunset. Respect the people living in the houses, as this is an inhabited village, and enter the churches only when open and dressed modestly.
From the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
From the 13th century.
Over the Ionian Sea.
Old town above Himarë, Albanian Riviera
Yes, some houses are still lived in, so respect residents' privacy.
The road is narrow, so it is best to leave the car and walk in good shoes.