Përmet

Permet is a small city in Southeastern Albania along the river Vjosa from which the valley takes its name. The riverside provides a very beautiful valley extending from Çarshove to Tepelenë District.

The greenest and the cleanest town in Albania, also known as the "city of roses." The small town of Permet is famous for its folk music and renowned clarinetist Laver Bariu, literature personalities, and the good cooking, especially sweets, the so called 'gliko', or preserves. You will be served good wine and raki in Permet and around.

Understand

Përmet

The small town of Permet is on the southern east side of Albania close to the two Greek borders (Kakavia and Merzani). It is 70 km away from the historical town of Gjirokastra and 230 km away from the capital city of Albania, Tirana.  The river Vjosa runs along the whole district for about 58 km and is the second largest river of Albania for its hydric reserves.

The most important mountains around Permet are: Nëmërçkë 2,485 m, Dhëmbel 2,080 m, and Trebeshina 1,922 m. A small town, surrounded by mountains, rivers and countryside, there are many choices of accommodation, activities, many taverns and snack bars, a rich history and many areas that you should not miss seeing!

Visitor information

• Visit Permet Tourist Info Center, Kompleksi Kulturor Përmet, Shëtitorja “Odise Paskali”, 2nd floor, ☏ +355 67 40 97 240, +355 813 237 25. M–F 09:00–18:00, Sa 09:00–12:00. 

Get in

By bus

• Gjirokastër – There are many buses and mini buses that leave from the main roundabout in northern side of the town. The fare costs 350 lek, and the duration of the journey is usually about an hour (70 km). You will travel through the beautiful Drinos Valley and then pass by the magnificent Kelcyre Gorge.
• Tirana – There are daily buses to Permet. Buses to the capital are at 05:00, 07:00 and 09:00. Buses from Tirana leave at 12:30, 14:00 and 17:00. Both ways daily schedules. The journey takes about five hours (220 km) and the fare is around 850 lek.

• Greece – If you are travelling from Greece, you can get on the bus that leaves from Athens (Address: Deliyianni 19, Metaxourgeio, ☏ +30 210 52 22 247 or ☏ +30 210 52 34 594. The bus usually takes 7–8 hr and is quite a comfortable journey! The bus fare costs €25 and the bus drops you off at the main square in Permet.

Get around

Hitchhiking to the hot springs is possible.

See

• Partisan monuments featuring socialist realism art work
• 1 Saint Nikolas Church (Kisha e Shën Kollit). The church of Saint Nikolas is a beautiful orthodox church in the town of Permet. It was built in the year 1757 and its walls were repaired and painted in the year 1967. The church is set in a beautiful, peaceful garden, surrounded by colorful cypresses and flowers. The church is usually closed to tourists but the outside view is also beautiful. (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 Saint Friday Church (Kisha e Shën Premtes). An attractive, old church in the town of Permet. The word “Paraskevi” is the Greek word for Friday and Saint Paraskevi was a Greek saint, who was martyred by decapitation, the saint is often shown in various icons, with a head on her shoulders and another head in a bowl. The name of this church in Albanian is Shen Premte (Saint Friday). The church was built in the year 1776, the shape of the building is long and low with a beautiful colonnaded porch, the roof has been made on a single level, which is very unusual as most of the roofs of the narthex are built on a lower level than the nave. There is an interesting architectural feature in the church, underneath the paved floor, there is a small channel which collects water from the font and leads the water to the rainwater drain outside. The wall paintings were painted in the year 1808 by the Albanian artist and painter Terpo Zografi, some of the paintings are in need of conservation but most are beautiful. The original door to the church was destroyed during the atheism campaign and has been replaced by a modern, carved door that a local craftsman carved. (updated Dec 2021)
• Bolenga Castle (Kalaja e Bolëngës). The upper district of the town of Permet is called Bolenga. The remains of the castle of Bolenga, are not more than a few stones, located at the top of the large rock of Permet. (updated Dec 2021)
• 3 Detail of teqe Alipostivan it (Detaj i teqes së Ali Postivanit). A teqe is a small place of worship for those practicing the Bektashi branch of Islam. (updated Dec 2021)
• The House of the Three Frashëri Brothers – The home of the brothers Avdyl, Sami and Naim Frasheri, prominent National Renaissance activists, is part of the national heritage, and holds the status of the Category Culture Monument 1 in the village of Frashër of Përmet.

Do

The City Stone of Përmet

• 1 Big Rock (The City Stone of Përmet/Guri I Qytetit Te Përmetit) (very near to the center of the town). The huge stone that is located beside the river is impossible to be missed. It is probably the largest stone that you have ever seen and today is considered to be a monument of culture. There are many stories about the stone, one story says that the town of Përmet was named after a hero who was called Premt, whose story has been handed down  generation after generation. This hero decided to throw himself off the “City Stone” rather than die at the hands of the enemy. The stone was also used as a watching point  was a watching point to check over the caravans during 18th-19th century. The area surrounding the huge rock is said to be protected and myths of the town say that it is forbidden to approach the rock when it is dark, for bad things could happen! The thing to do in Permet is to climb a big rock. Let's say this is the point of observation of the town. (updated Dec 2021)
• Multicultural Permet Festival showcasing the best of local folklore
• Fir of Hotova National Park – Have a hike here and visit the nearby picturesque villages.

Banjat e Benjës

Bënjë Bridge

Thermal pools

Langarica Canyon

Around 13 km away from the center of Përmet, a famous Spa and an old Ottoman bridge. You may take a taxi, hitchhike, or even hike if you want. At the very beginning of the street you will see the Katiu’s Bridge, that was built within the medieval period, it remains in good condition until today.

• 4 Bënjë Bridge (Ura e Kadiut/Ura e Bënjës) (at the very beginning of the street). The beautiful Ottoman bridge of Benja with the natural thermal springs is still in very good condition! If you walk to the middle of the bridge, you can take some brilliant photographs of the river and the surrounding countryside. This bridge is also known as The judge's bridge (Ura e Katiut). The Turkish word "Katiut" means "judge" and there is a story that while Albania was under the Turkish occupation, a judge fell of the bridge and was killed. The earliest archaeological traces recorded in the area, consisting mainly of flint tools and pottery fragments, seems to belong to the Neolithic (7000-3000 BC) and Eneolithic (3000-2100 BC) periods, and are recorded in the cave settlements, near by the village of Bënjë, at the rocky canyons of Lengarica, an affluent of Vjosa River, which is about 2 km to its southeast direction. The Bronze Age (2100-1100 BC) is presented by the fortification of Dedejan, at the foot of Nemerçka Mountain range, while other find spots from the same period are discovered during agriculture works in the fields of Piskova village. (updated Dec 2021)
• 2 Thermal pools. Several hot springs situated in a scenic surrounding. A group of hot springs, from which small pools with water of different sizes have been created. Each pool is used for treatment of a specific problem, for example, acne and other skin diseases, rheumatism and diseases of body, or stomach—more folklore than actual science. A more specific aspect is the existence of the basin with healing mud, which the elderly say it is a key to keep the skin fresh and young. In fact it is proved that the medicine has an effect on rejuvenate of the skin. In the waters of Bënjë one can find visitors from all over Albania, coming to be cured. However there are many others who visit even just to get the sun rays. Warm water is always a magnet that invites to pass hours in total relaxation.
  3 The hottest of all pools can be found further into the Langarica Canyon, around the corner, after about 300 m on the right. It can also be reached from then small road going up the hill. (updated Dec 2021)
• 4 Langarica Canyon (Lengarices Gorge). The springs and bridge mark the end of the 5-km-long Langarica Canyon in Kolonje District, where you can kayak in what is considered the most scenic canyon of Albania. (updated Dec 2021)

Eat

• Pasticeri Bleta. If you want fresh, local, traditional sweets and cakes, then you should visit the Bleta], which is a few meters down from the main square of Permet, on the back road towards the large stone of the city. (updated Dec 2021)
• 1 Restaurant Trifilia. (updated May 2022)
• 2 Restaurant Dako. (updated May 2022)
• 3 Restaurant Familjari. (updated May 2022)
• 4 Pizza Veranda Përmet, Street Mentor Xhemali. 10:00-22:00. (updated May 2023)

Drink

• 1 Bar Lulishte. (updated May 2022)
• 2 Bar Grande. (updated May 2022)
• 3 Bar Bodi, SH75. 06:30-23:00. Traditional drinks of the area are served, such as raki, wine and Përmet glycoca. (updated May 2023)

Sleep

• 1 RAMIS Hotel. (updated May 2022)
• 2 Hotel Trifon Kludhi. (updated May 2022)
• 3 Hotel Atika. (updated May 2022)
• 4 Hotel Villa Ago, ☏ +355 68 228 2801. Check-in: 11:00-19:00, check-out: 09:00-11:00. (updated May 2023)
• 5 Hotel Ana, Street Kongresit, ☏ +355 69 289 4536, hotelana@hotmail.com. Check-in: 11:00-20:00, check-out: 09:00-12:00. The hotel is in the town of Permet but in a location that gets you away from the noise of the traffic. It is less than 500 m away from the main square of Permet, and 250 m away from a supermarket and other shops. (updated May 2023)
• 6 Hotel Përmeti, Square Abdyl Frasheri, ☏ +355 69 452 3811, hotelpermet@yahoo.com. Check-in: 11:00-20:00, check-out: 09:00-12:00. Hotel Përmeti is a pleasantly furnished environment with traditional elements and traditional food. (updated May 2023)

Go next

• Tepelenë – A castle and a region famous for its bravery and polyphonic characteristic songs.
• Gjirokastër – Popular for its mulberry Raki. Also, nearby the Blue Hole, a tourist attraction similar to others of the same name.
• Leskovik – If you are interested in more hot springs, check out the spring up the mountains near Postenan village, or the Burimet e Leskovikut springs right at the Greek border in the beautiful river valley of Sarandoporo river.