Hadrianopolis in Epirus | Roman Emperor Hadrian’s Ancient City in Gjirokastra, Albania

Between building stone walls in Northern England, the Roman emperor Hadrian was often seen enjoying the theatre on warm summer nights. Hadrian visited the area pictured below in AD 125. In fact, there's a good chance that Hadrian himself sat and watched a play in this very theater, located in the Roman province of Illyricum (in what is now modern-day Albania, south of Gjirokastra). The theater was located in the Roman city of Hadrianopolis (in Epirus), named after the emperor, of course—it had a seating capacity of 4,000 seats and about 27 rows. It was a massive structure. With only about 10 rows barely visible nowadays, it's a bit hard to imagine how impressive this building must have once been. The ancient city was uncovered by a landslide in the 1970s. However, it was not until 1984 that local farmers noticed the upper part of the amphitheater. Excavations have only recently begun and are moving along slowly but surely. This is why we love traveling through the Balkans. You can visit an ancient Roman theatre, let your imagination run wild, have it all to yourself to enjoy, and tour it in its raw state (for free!). Follow us; on https://www.instagram.com/thebudgetsa... on https://www.facebook.com/TheBSTravelers on https://twitter.com/TheBSTravelers on https://thebudgetsavvytravelers.com/