The Castle of Tepelena is what survives of Ali Pasha's fortified residence on a bluff above the Vjosa river. Ali Pasha — the Lion of Janina — was born here in 1740 and built the castle in the 1780s as one of several strongholds across his sprawling Ottoman territory. The thick stone walls and three round towers still ring most of the bluff, though much of the interior is ruined.
The setting is dramatic — steep mountains on both sides of the river, the town below, the road to Gjirokastra winding away to the south. From the castle walls the view is extraordinary. The site is freely accessible; come at sunset for the best light.