Labovë e Kryqit is a mountain village north-east of Gjirokastër, visited mainly for the Church of the Holy Cross. The church is one of the region’s more atmospheric Byzantine monuments, with heavy stone walls, a compact plan, and a sense of age that sits well in the dry hillside landscape.
This is a side trip for travellers with time and transport, not a casual stroll from the old bazaar. The road and setting are part of the experience: village life, mountain views, and a reminder that the Drino valley’s history is spread through small settlements as much as in Gjirokastër itself.