Tepelenë: The Complete Guide

Tepelenë is a small town located on the left side of the Vjosa River on a plateau above the river in southern Albania. The castle / town walls overlook the river.

The warlord and ruler of Southern Albania, Ali Pasha of Tepelenë was born at the nearby village of Beçisht and there is a statue of him in Tepelenë. He lived in Tepelenë castle here for a period and met Lord Byron there.

This area has two towns, Tepelene and Memaliaj, 15 villages and castles, and caves, and waterfalls to see. “Kurvelesh” is a region in Albania, famous for the bravery, songs and pride.

Visiting Tepelenë for the first time and wondering what are the top places to see in the city? In this complete guide, I share the best things to do in Tepelenë on the first visit. Top help you plan your trip, I have also included an interactive map and practical tips for visiting!

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4 Best places to See in Tepelenë

This complete guide to Tepelenë not only tells you about the very best sights and tourist attractions for first-time visitors to the city but also provide insights into a few of our personal favorite things to do.

This is a practical guide to visiting the best places to see in Tepelenë and is filled with tips and info that should answer all your questions!

Lord Byron Square

Lord Byron Square, Tepelene, Albania
Copyright / Beth Elliott
Ali Pasha Tepelena was the Governor of Southern Albania from 1788 – 1822, was an Albanian warlord who is now celebrated for fighting the Turks. Such was his reputation that while they were on their Grand Tour, Lord Byron and his friend John Hobhouse, in 1809, travelled to Tepelena to meet him and stayed as […]
Location: Sheshi Lord Bajron, Tepelenë, Albania | Hours: 24 Hours | Price: Free | Distance: 1.90km
Visiting Lord Byron Square

Castle of Tepelenë

Tepelenës Castle, Albania 2
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Gashi Bujar
The Castle of Tepelenë is situated on the North side of the city of Tepelene and houses a number of residential buildings inside it. The Byzantines first built a defensive tower in the town, which then was further developed during the Ottoman Period in the 15th century. In the early 19th century Ali Pasha supervised […]
Visiting Castle of Tepelenë

Benca Aqueduct

Ali Pasha Aqueduct Bence Tepelene
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Scheuerslow
The Aqueduct of Benca is situated by the Benca river, 2 km in north of the village with the same name. The Aqueduct was built in 19th century, by Ali Pashe Tepelena in order to supply fresh water to the Castle of Tepelena. The construction has 20 bridge legs and arches built of stone, unfortunately […]
Visiting Benca Aqueduct

Progonati Waterfall

Progonati Waterfall Tepelena Gjirokastra
© https://www.visit-gjirokastra.com
Progonati Waterfall is a largely undiscovered waterfall with crystal-clean water plunges which plunges down 40m into a turquoise colored pool, then flows through a horizontal hole, to drops another 40 m into a second pool. The water then continues to cascade down a series of additional falls for several hundred meters until it reaches the […]
Visiting Progonati Waterfall

Tours and Activities from Tepelenë