Paleokastra Castle, Gjirokastra

The castle of Paleokastra is located a few km north of Gjirokastra. The castle is a monument of cultural heritage, of the "Archaeology" type, approved in June 1973. Its typology is the castle, construction of the Roman period.

Its name Paleokastrë means the old castle. It was erected here to oversee the river and the entrance to the Kardhiqi Valley, which was considered the main Roman road from Saranda to the coast.

Paleokastra is one of the few Roman military installations in the Balkans. It is thought that the castle was built in the 4th century AD, at the time of Emperor Constantine the Great, as a shelter for his cavalry army. From the excavations carried out, it appears that the castle may have been used until the 6th century AD. During this period, the two small churches may have been built inside the walls of the castle.

The castle has a special construction technique, typical Roman, with angular towers in the corners and a single gate in the west. A fort with rectangular blocks, with flat sides and the same height of about 0.47 m. The view from there is wonderful and remains one of the historical and cultural destinations of the area.