TIRANA, May 18 /ATA/ - A 230-year-old stone house in north-eastern Albania is emerging as a tourist destination after being restored from ruins and transformed into a guesthouse-style attraction, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Monday.

Known as the Hupi Tower, the historic structure is located in the village of Lepurakë in the municipality of Bulqizë and has become increasingly popular with domestic and foreign visitors.

In a post on social media, PM Rama shared footage of the traditional stone house, which is undergoing further refurbishment, saying the site was being upgraded to higher hospitality standards.

He credited the revival of the stone tower to local resident Lul Hupi and his wife, who chose to remain in their ancestral village and restore the abandoned property rather than leave the area.

“They turned a dead heritage asset into a tourist destination, placing their village on the map and inspiring others to invest in agritourism,” Rama said.

The project has helped place the village of Dushaj in the Fusha-Bulqizë area on Albania’s growing rural tourism map.

Albania has launched a wider programme aimed at restoring traditional “kulla” tower houses across four northern regions and 14 municipalities, as part of efforts to link cultural heritage preservation with tourism and sustainable local development.

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