Archaeological Park of Antigona

Top-rated.online cuts through the clutter, highlighting only the reviews that are most helpful, earn the most likes, or come from the most active contributors. One of my few five star ratings. This park outside Gjirokaster is an historical dream. The site is extensive and has many excavated sections. Information is in Albanian and English. When we visited the wildflowers were out and it was magical. You could almost imagine the bustle in the Agora! The site is a special place so, please, pay the entry fee instead of 'sneaking in' for free. It's only a few dollars and helps keep these sites open and maintained. If you are really into history and/or hiking you will like this. If you're mildly interested in historical sites then you might feel the distance and cost are not worth it. I'm more towards the latter, hence the 3 star review. 300 lek entry - there might be no one at the ticket kiosk when you enter, but they might be there when you leave. Just go in and explore and pay when you leave. From the car park, there is signage up to the right to a church. This is a hike up and then down the hill, with some ruins. The other option is to stay on the main track and walk to the end (centre of city ruins), stopping at the various ruins each side. There are informative boards throughout, so you understand what you're looking at. No facilities, so take what you need and be prepared to pee in nature. Interesting archeological site with lots of signage. The gate was closed and no one was in the ticket booth during open hours on a Thursday. However, the gate was easily bypassed on foot and we spent several hours roaming the ground in complete solitude save for a flock of sheep, two dogs, a few birds, and a ton of insects. Antigonea Archaeological Park is an incredible place where history and nature blend beautifully. Walking among the ancient ruins, you can truly feel the spirit of the past and the love story that gave life to this city. The panoramic views over the Drino Valley are breathtaking, and the peaceful atmosphere makes it a perfect escape. A must-visit if you are exploring southern Albania! Tip: Visit early in the morning or late afternoon to enjoy cooler temperatures and the best light for photos over the valley! Nice for spending few hours, having a pleasant hike. Quite interesting but not especially spectacular. Not crowded though, so it was a positive point too. Beautiful site, April is a beautiful season to visit lots of flowers and green. Not the best preserved and likely lots yet to be excavated. Beautiful non the less. Lots of walking and amazing views. Unfortunately the mosaic is covered and the guard said it rarely gets uncovered for viewing... The City of Pirro/ Pyrrhus' Dream - The Illyrian King of Epirus Antigona, the city that was built by an order of Piroo/Pyrrhus in honor of his wife Antigonë as a sign of love, was burned in one night on the order of the Roman general Aemilius Paullus out of revenge and as sign of hatred, having flourished not even two centuries. When he was 17, King Pirro (in Albanian) was dethroned after an uprising against him. After that, he went to the service of King Demeter of Macedonia and later to the court of King Ptolemy of Egypt. In Egypt he attracted the attention of the queen of Egypt, Berenice, who chose him among other princes to marry her daughter Antigonë. With the support of Antigonë, Pirro gathered money, an army & returned to Epir, claiming the royal throne. Gratitude to his mother-in-law Berenice & his wife Antigonë prompted Pirro to found 2 cities named after them: Berenice and Antigonë. The first was located in Thesproti once in Albanian territories given to Greece by the London Congress, while Antigonë once named Antitania, is still “alive” until today in Gjirokastër, as a proof of the fractioned & stolen history of the Albanians from their “Almighty” neighbors. Antigonë/a, the 2nd city of the ancient Epirian province of Kaonia after Ancient Phoenicia (todays Albanian Finiq), both in size and importance, controlled the famous Via Egnatia connecting Dyrrahium (Durrës), Apollonia and Orikum with the highlands of Ioannina and Southern Epir. Due to its important geographic position at a dominant point on the hill of Jerma, in the middle of the Drino Valley, Antigonë has been recognized as representing the climax of an unprecedented development. The Drino Valley, both because of its fertility and its strategic importance, was an early population center, witnessed by about 20 ancient cities and fortifications, monumental barrows and tombs, ancient temples and theaters. Without doubt, Antigonë has been the main center of the valley. Really nice place for a late afternoon hike. See pictures for timetable. If you go after opening hours, don't worry, you can enter by foot anyway. Take water and a snack. Enjoy! Saw a snake. Was dive-bombed by cicadas. Top ruins. Website change monitoring Monitor any webpage for changes – get instant email alerts when prices drop, new jobs are posted, products come back in stock, or competitors update their sites. See how the number of reviews and average review scores have changed over time.