Shopping & Markets · Our pick
The old bazaar
Stone lanes and crafts
Gjirokastër’s cobbled market quarter beneath the castle, full of craft shops and cafés.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Radosław Botev · CC BY 3.0 pl via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Senada Kusi · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Jocelyn Erskine-Kellie · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons1 / 3
About The old bazaar
Where Gjirokastër’s cobbled lanes meet below the castle, the old bazaar is the heart of the UNESCO-listed old town. Its stone shops, many with wooden shutters and stone roofs, sell carpets, carved wood, embroidery, crafts and souvenirs, and the 16th-century Bazaar Mosque stands at its centre. Cafés and restaurants offer a pause with a view over the rooftops and valley. Come in the early evening, when the low light warms the stone and the whole town comes out to stroll.
Our take
- Carpets and carving
- Bazaar Mosque
- Early-evening light
- Address
- Pazari i Vjetër
Gjirokastër, the Balkans - Our city guide
- On our Tirana guide
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The old bazaar before you go.
Last checked: October 2026 How we choose
Location
The map comes from Google Maps, which sets its own cookies once it loads.
Read next
HotelsHotel KodraA 13-room boutique hotel in Gjirokastër’s old town, with a terrace restaurant below the castle.
HotelsHotel ArgjiroA central hotel in Gjirokastër’s old bazaar, close to the castle and house museums.
SightsGjirokastër CastleA vast hilltop fortress over Gjirokastër and the Drino valley, with vaulted galleries.