Gjirokastra's eerie hilltop castle is one of the biggest in the Balkans. There's been a fortress here since the 12th century, although much of what can be seen today dates to the early 19th century. The castle remains somewhat infamous due to its use as a prison under the communists. Inside there's a collection of armoury, two good museums, plenty of crumbling ruins to scramble around, and superb views over the valley.
The castle grounds also house a recovered US Air Force jet with an interesting backstory as to how it got here. One is the official Albanian version, the other is the official American version. Both versions are what might today be termed as 'Fake News', but the US version is faker than the Albanian one…
