Situated in southern Albania, Gjirokastra perches on the steep side of the Drino valley overlooking an historic landscape framed by snow-capped mountains.  This ‘city of a thousand steps’ comprises hundreds of Ottoman-style tower houses with distinctive stone roofs, wooden balconies and whitewashed stone walls.  Dominated by the sheer flanks of its vast castle, Gjirokastra is a magical city with a tumultuous past.  From feudal stronghold to Ottoman jewel to Italian colony, the city has known many rulers and has inspired poets, authors and artists.

The Mangalemi quarter, better known as the "City of 1000 Windows", dates back centuries to the Ottoman ruling period and the architectural elements of each home clearly illustrates this. If one was to compare the ancient construction of the Mangalemi quarter to present day, residential architecture, the differences of highly placed windows to slow intruder advances, stairwells winding particular directions to allow sword strike advantage for the owner, and animal storage areas would be found. 

Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is known as the ""Museum City of Albania"". Berat lies on the sides on the Osum River with a backdrop of Mount Tomorr, elevation 2,416m/7,927ft. Additionally a 2,500 year old castle overlooks the city with numerous, high architectural and historical stone neighborhoods below. The city forms a wonderful combination of eastern and western cultures, costumes, tradition and outlook. Berat is a treasure-trove of Albanian history, culture and testament to country’s tradition of religious harmony. 

Fortress of Justinian or simply known as Tirana Castle is a castle in Tirana, Albania. Its history dates back before 1300 and is a remnant from the Byzantine-era. The fortress is the place where the main east-west and north-south roads crossed, and formed the heart of Tirana. The current fortification has three known towers and it is undergoing a process of restoration, for touristic purposes. Inside the fortified walls of the former fortress, there are many buildings that can be visited, including restaurants, hotels, and cultural institutions. About all that is left of the fortress above ground is a 6-metre (20 ft) high Ottoman-era wall, covered in vines.

Tiranë, the capital of Albania was founded in the early 17th century CE by Sulejman Pasha of Mulleti who built a large settlement in the area. From the 1920s and on Tirana has infused Italian architecture into it's city center. Italian planners created the gigantic Skanderbeg square, memorializing the national hero of Albania, with surrounding ministry buildings, the Town Hall, and other like buildings. As for much of past Ottoman influences in Tirana, natural disasters of earthquakes, disrepair, and Albanian Communism all but demolished traces of Ottoman existences; Et'hem Bey Mosque on the perimeter of Skanderbeg square is an important Ottoman architectural item which has survived.

The main sight-seeing place in Skoder is the castle of Rozafa, which was built in the 3d century B.C. Now there is a small museum here where you can see Illyrian coins, Ottoman weapons and personal belongings of the local people. Behind the castle there is the multi-domed Lead mosque. It is called “Lead” because the rocks used for the building of its walls were joined by melted lead.