Gradishta Hillfort in Slabinjë Village
Fshati: Slabinjë, Njësia Administrative: Proptisht, Bashkia: Pogradec
The Gradishta, or Slabinjë Castle, lies to the south of the village of Slabinjë in the Lower Mokra area. It rises on a pyramid-shaped rocky hill known to the villagers as “Bregu i Sopotit”. Below this hill the Shkumbin river meets the Trebinjë river, while on its south-western side there is a low pass through which ran the ancient road linking the Shkumbin valley with the Panja Pass and, further on, with the Korça and Devoll plains. This very favourable geographical position led to the hilltop being fortified with a stone wall around its entire area. The fortification dates from Late Antiquity (4th–6th century AD), when, because of the barbarian invasions, the Byzantine Empire undertook a campaign of fortification and refortification throughout its territory. The fortification at Slabinjë covered a small area of about 2 ha. It served as a small military-cum-rural settlement whose inhabitants lived mainly from farming and livestock, using the fortification not only as a place to live but also to watch over and defend the ancient road that passed beside it. As a secondary fortification, Slabinjë was directly dependent on Selcë e Poshtme. In terms of building technique, the encircling wall belongs precisely to the 4th century AD. It is built of small stones bound with weak mortar, reaches a maximum height of 1.30 m and is 1.50 m wide, and enclosed the hilltop in a triangular plan. Little archaeological material has been found within the enclosure, mainly fragments of Late Antique pottery and bricks
Monument record
- Ownership
- State-owned
- Current use
- Cultural site
- Original use
- Fortified settlement
- Dating
- 5th–6th century AD
- Declared a monument
- Ministry of Education and Culture, Decision no. 1886, dated 10/06/1973
- Monument category
- I – First
- Current condition
- Of the ancient fortification, only one stretch of wall survives on the north-western side; the rest has been destroyed over the years because local people used its stones to build agricultural terraces, houses and even the village school.
- Distance from Pogradec city centre
- 55 km to the west.
How to get there
Only 4x4 vehicles are recommended; they can take you all the way to the destination. The climb from the foot of the hill up to the fortified settlement is made on foot.
What it offers
- Cultural Monument
