The hilltop is one of the oldest settled sites in the Vlorë region. A fortified settlement is believed to have stood here by the 3rd century BC; in late antiquity it became a fortress town, and in the 6th century it was rebuilt under the Byzantine emperor Justinian I. In the Middle Ages Kanina was a major stronghold and, in the 14th century, a centre of the Principality of Valona. Later held by the Ottomans, it was fought over by Venetian and Ottoman forces in 1690 during the Morean War, and it was abandoned in the 19th century.
Today visitors walk among the ruined fortification walls that ring the hilltop, tracing layers of building from different eras. The old village of Kaninë below has a historic centre protected as a cultural monument, with stone houses lining its lanes, and a winding road climbs up from Vlorë.
Come for the history and stay for the panoramic views, best of all at sunset, when the bay glows below.
