A small but historical town sandwiched between rugged mountain ranges and overlooking the confluence of the Vjosa and Drinos rivers, Tepelena was made famous by the aristocrat Ali Pasha Tepelena (1740-1822), who started off his career as a bandit robbing trade caravans but ended up as a ruthless governor for the Ottomans, ruling over a vast tract of land between Tepelena, Gjirokastra and Ioaninna, and building dozens of castles, fortifications, roads and aqueducts. With a wealth of lovely mountain villages, waterfalls, castle ruins and caves in the vicinity, it's a pleasure to spend a few days exploring the area.

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.