Ali Pasha Bridge

Ali Pasha of Tepelena had an aqueduct built in the early nineteenth century to bring water some ten kilometres from the Sopot mountain to the castle at Gjirokastra, and although most of it was dismantled in the 1930s, a section of the arched structure survives in the hills east of the town, spanning a stream at the head of a small valley. It is reached on a walk of about forty-five minutes from the old town along a marked path with views back over Gjirokastra and the Drino valley, and the arch itself can be walked across. There is nothing else there: no facilities, no interpretation beyond a sign, and usually nobody else, which is the appeal for people who have done the town and want a walk.

What to look for

• A surviving aqueduct arch - part of the ten-kilometre water channel.
• The walk from the old town - forty-five minutes with views back over Gjirokastra.
• The Drino valley view - the plain and the mountains from the path.
• Crossing the arch - the structure walkable at the top.

When to go

April to October; the path is muddy and slippery in wet weather. Two hours for the return walk. Mornings and late afternoon avoid the heat, since there is no shade on much of the path.

Practical notes

It is one arch at the end of a walk and visitors expecting a bridge or an aqueduct of scale will be disappointed. The path is unshaded and rough in places. There are no facilities. Signposting from the town is patchy.

Nearby

Gjirokastra old town is west; the castle stands above it.

Key facts