The small town of Këlcyra along the Vjosa river, 18km downstream from Përmet and 44km from Gjirokastra, sits at the top of a gorge amidst lovely mountain scenery. The ruins of the Sarajet house and an Illyrian fortress testify to the strategic importance of this location along the trade route from the Adriatic to the interior. Drivers should be aware that the SH74 road from Këlcyra directly north to Berat which may look attractive on the maps is not suitable for standard cars - the best route is west around Fier, turning east to Berat at Lushnja.

This travel guide is one of five regional In Your Pocket guides produced in cooperation with the Albanian Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Ministria e Turizmit dhe Mjedisit, www.turizmi.gov.al). Copies of the guide are free and can be found at local municipalities, accommodations and tourist information centres, as well as at Tirana’s airport and embassies.
There are three guides for destinations in north Albania: Shkodra, Theth & Velipoja; Malësia e Madhe; and Puka, Vau i Dejës & Fushë-Arrëz. In southern Albania, two guides cover Gjirokastra and the Vjosa River Valley around Tepelene and Përmet. In Your Pocket also has a guide for Tirana.