Himara Castle

Himara, Albania

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Himara Castle, also known as Kastro e Himarës or Barbaka, is an ancient fortress perched on a rocky hill near the town of Himarë, Albania.

The site has a history spanning approximately 3,500 years, with origins dating back to the Illyrian period and significant developments during Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras. The castle is bordered by two canyons, Vishë Canyon to the northwest and Kole Midhari Canyon to the southeast, and controlled the crucial coastal road from Orikum to Butrint.

In the Middle Ages, it served as a fortified city and the administrative and religious center of southern Albania, housing several historic churches including the Episcopal Church built on the foundations of an ancient temple to Apollo.

The castle's walls, some extending between 500 and 1000 meters, and its surviving medieval structures tell a story of the area's mixed cultural heritage and strategic significance along the Albanian Riviera.