Ethnographic Museum of Gjirokastër

The museum building is a two-story stone structure in the typical Ottoman style of Gjirokastër: symmetrical layout, carved wooden balconies, and local stonework. It's not a replica of Hoxha's house but a model home reproducing architectural elements from the city's finest 19th-century buildings. Cultural details were copied from various historic mansions across Gjirokastër.

The ground floor features stone walls that stay cool in summer and retain heat in winter. Upper floors have lower ceilings and smaller windows for temperature regulation. The top floor houses a spacious communal room – the "cameretta" – where women traditionally gathered. Rooms are furnished with authentic items: regional Albanian folk costumes, kitchenware, tools, and textiles. Each item is accompanied by an English-language description.

From 1966 to 1991, the building served as the Anti-Fascist Museum. After the fall of socialism in Albania, the exhibition was converted to ethnographic content. The museum provides a picture of what wealthy Gjirokastër interiors looked like before modernization – unlike Skenduli House, which preserves the authentic belongings of a single family, this museum presents a generalized collection representing the city's entire domestic culture.

Building – constructed 1964–1966 on the site of Enver Hoxha's birthplace, but not a replica of his house

Exhibition – recreated interiors of wealthy 19th-century Gjirokastër families with authentic objects

Folk costumes – collection of regional Albanian costumes with descriptions

Architecture – a model house incorporating elements from the city's finest Ottoman mansions

Labels – all exhibits described in English

Cameretta – traditional women's communal room on the upper floor

The original house where Enver Hoxha was born in 1908 was destroyed by fire in 1965. Between 1964 and 1966, a new building was erected on the site – not as a replica of Hoxha's home, but as a generalized model of a traditional 19th-century Gjirokastër mansion. Architectural elements and decor were copied from various historic buildings across the city. From 1966 to 1991, the building operated as the Anti-Fascist Museum, dedicated to the partisan movement.

Following the communist regime's collapse in 1991, the museum was reorganized as an ethnographic institution. All materials related to Hoxha and the partisan movement were removed. The exhibition was filled with household items, folk costumes, and domestic wares reflecting urban family life before socialist modernization. The museum operates year-round and is one of Gjirokastër's most foreigner-friendly museums thanks to its comprehensive English-language labels.

From central Gjirokastër (on foot, 10–15 minutes):

– Walk uphill from the bazaar through the Palorto quarter

– The museum is next to Skenduli House

From Tirana (227 km, 3.5–4 hours):

– Bus: 11 daily departures, 1,200 ALL (~$13 USD / ~12 EUR)

– Car rental: from $22–27 USD / 20–25 EUR per day

– Taxi: ~$185 USD / ~170–180 EUR per car

From Sarandë (49 km, 1–1.5 hours):

– Bus: 500 ALL (~$5 USD)

– By car via SH8 highway

On the ground:

From Gjirokastër bus station – 20–25 minutes on foot or a taxi to the Palorto quarter for 300–500 ALL

Season: Year-round. Summer (July–August) makes the uphill walk tiring. In winter, some sources report closures on Mondays and Tuesdays (October–March).

Time of day: Morning (9:00–11:00) – fewer visitors. Museum closes around 4:00–5:00 PM.

Duration: 30–45 minutes.

Avoid: Mondays and Tuesdays in winter (confirm locally). Cruise ship group hours from Sarandë (11:00–1:00 PM).