Himarë Castle

Himarë Castle, locally known as Kalaja e Himarës, lies in the village of the same name, in the county of Vlorë in Albania.

The site of the castle, a 240-meter-high rocky hill, was already inhabited in Antiquity, when it was known as Chimarra. Later, during Roman and Byzantine times, it was described as a castle-village. What remains of the medieval fortifications are the base of a round tower on the northern end of the hill, parts of the curtain walls and its 2 gates.

The curtain walls are difficult to ascertain, as they mostly disappeared in the fabric of later structures. Inside the castle district, almost all buildings have been abandoned and fallen to ruin. Amongst them, a couple of churches dating back to Byzantine times.

Himarë Castle is freely accessible. A nice place but more like an abandoned fortified village than a real castle. It's very enjoyable, though, to stroll around the ruined buildings through the cobbled alleys, while also having a great view over the Adriatic.

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