Byllis occupies a high plateau in the Mallakastra region of southern Albania, near the village of Hekal. The Albanian National Tourism Agency places the archaeological park about 20–30 kilometres north of Fier; the official visitor page gives an approximate drive of 48 minutes from that city. The setting is more than a scenic overlook. The hilltop position shaped the city’s walls, gates, streets and views across the Vjosa landscape, while also making a visit a journey beyond Albania’s coastal resort circuit.
The ancient city emerged as a major centre in the Hellenistic period, and the current park project describes Byllis as the political and cultural heart of the koinon, or federation, of the Bylliones. An official tourism account dates the city to the third century BCE; the project’s archaeological page gives evidence of earlier fortification phases in the fourth century BCE. These statements describe different milestones—early walls and the growth of the city—rather than one uncontested foundation day.
