Këlcyra Castle, Gjirokastër County, Albania

We took a sunset stroll up the side of Trebeshina mountain to see the ruins of Ali bej Këlcyra Castle. Built in the mid 19th century, by Theodore, the founder of the Këlcyra family, the castle was one of the largest buildings in Albania at the time. At 65,000 square feet, and with eight four-story towers, a ground floor, and a basement, this must have been quite the sight to see. As with all good things, it came to an end in 1914 when the magnificent castle was burnt to the ground by the Greeks, leaving the ruins we wandered through today.