Porto Palermo Castle, Himarë

Porto Palermo Castle is a cultural heritage monument built on a peninsula with a stunning panorama between the city of Himara and Qeparo. In terms of the construction method, it is unique in its kind in Albania. The castle is a priceless gem of Albanian heritage.

It is thought that the castle existed long ago, and that Ali Pash Tepelena rebuilt it in the 18th century. According to the writings of 1912, this castle was Venetian. Above the entrance to the castle was placed a plaque engraved with the lion of St. Mark, which has now been lost. However, studies show that this plaque was removed no more than a few decades ago, which reinforces the theory that the castle was built by the Venetians. Researchers give another theory about the time of construction of this fort. Because the position of the fort is not at all strategic as it is vulnerable to a cannon attack from the hills opposite it shows that it was built at a time when these weapons had not yet been invented.

In 1803, when Ali Pasha offered the castle and the port to the Royal Navy, it had only 4 or 5 cannons, implying that Ali Pasha did not see the fort as important, François Pouqueville wrote that: "The tower or fort stands on the southern point of the entrance, connected with the mainland by a narrow low isthmus. It consists of a square with bastions, of a few guns, of no service either to command the entrance. or to protect ships at anchor. Near it are several warehouses , a customs house and a Greek church".

The castle was built on the peninsula of the small tectonic bay of Porto Palermo, known in antiquity as the bay of Panorme.

The castle has a triangular planimetric shape with three strong bastions in the corners. Its dimensions are 150 m x 400 m and the height of the walls reaches 20 m. The entrance is in the middle of the south wall. On the sea side, between the two bastions, a trapezoidal surface is surrounded by walls equipped with turrets. The rest of the castle consists of a large number of vaulted rooms, which end in the upper part with a common terrace. The premises served to house the garrison, while one of them served as a prison.

After the restoration, Ali Pasha had this point under his control, using it often only as a visitor, he did not live there.

The castle is one of the most visited in Albania, especially in summer.

The fastest way to get there is by car just a few minutes from Himara or Qeparo and about 45 minutes from Saranda. You can also use the minibuses that regularly ply the Himare-Qeparo route.