[2025 Berat Attraction] Travel Guide for Berat Castle (Updated Jan)

The beauty of travelling is you never know what you will find whether they are old cars, street art or MR BEAN!

The very best things to do in Berat Albania, including Berat Castle and a day trip to Osumi Canyon, plus instructions for how to travel from Tirana to Berat by bus. Berat in central Albania is an elegant stone-and-alabaster city wreathed in fig trees and cleaved by the Osumi River. An ancient Illyrian settlement turned Byzantine frontier town, Berat is known for the Ottoman houses that cascade down both sides of its gentle river valley. Evenly spaced portals cut into the stone facades lend it the famous epithet: ‘The City of a Thousand Windows’. Berat is home to one of two UNESCO-listed historic centres (the other being in Gjirokaster), making it a must-see in Albania for history buffs and culture lovers alike. Between the unusual Berat Kala and the medieval bazaar, historic mosques, local cuisine, a lively cafe scene and one of the handsomest Ethnographic Museums in the Balkans, Berat has a lot to offer. Not to mention the spectacular valleys, canyons and wineries within easy reach of the city. Berat Castle (Kala): Head to the platform on the far end of the fortress. From here, you’ll have unparalleled views of Gorica, the Osum River, and the mountains in the distance. Plan to coordinate your visit to the castle a few hours before sunset, so you don’t have to walk up the hill twice. The New Bridge: This modern bridge has excellent vantage points of both Gorica and Mangalem. It’s a great spot to get close up views of the city during sunset hour. Gorica Hill: For one of the best panoramic sunset views, hike up to the top of Gorica Hill for amazing views of Mangalem and the valley below. The hike only takes a maximum of 30-minutes and is worth it for the views. To find the route, we suggest downloading the app Maps.Me and searching for “viewpoint.” In Albania, food is all about freshness and seasonality. It's like picking fruit from the tree or harvesting veggies from the garden. Olive oil, herbs, and spices are magic ingredients that give dishes their special kick. Albanians have a few tricks up their sleeve when it comes to cooking. They grill, stew, bake – whatever it takes to make food taste delicious. And when it's time to eat, everyone gathers around the table like one big family. It's all about sharing good food and good company. The culinary traditions of Albania are a window into the country's vibrant past; dishes here feature a medley of flavours influenced by the Mediterranean and the Balkans. There are so many reasons to add a few days in Berat to your Albania itinerary. Contact us at Berat Turistic Guide

Berat is nicknamed the "City of a Thousand Windows" because of the more than a thousand white huts with multiple windows built against the mountains in the city. It sounds romantic, but in fact due to the terrain, it is cold in winter and hot and dry in summer. Place: The ancient city of Berat brings together many medieval artifacts of Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as the natural beauty of the Osum River and the farmland and countryside on both sides. It is also known as the "Museum City"; over the centuries, it has witnessed different religions and cultures Community coexistence. The "Berat Castle" built in the 13th century is a fortress overlooking the town of Berat. It is built on a rocky hill on the right bank of the Osum River and can only be entered from the south; some Byzantine-era churches are preserved in the castle. Some of the mosques built during the Ottoman period also have valuable murals and icon paintings inside. Among them, the 14th-century Holy Trinity Church has a well-preserved exterior. The 🇦🇱10-lek coins issued in 1996, 2000 and 2013 all feature Berat Castle on the reverse. Gjirokastër, the ancient city of Gjirokastër, was founded in the 4th century AD and is the commercial center of southern 🇦🇱. Local residents built houses and streets with stones on the hills. Rock flakes replaced tiles to lay the roof, so it is known as the "Stone City"; the city's walls date back to the third century AD; the Turkish Tower is the focus of the town, known for its rich interior decorative details and exquisite painting patterns; there are also An 18th-century mosque and two churches have been preserved; the highest point of the ancient city is the Gjirokastra Castle, built in the 6th century. It is said to be one of the earliest and largest mountain military fortresses in Europe, with 88 cannons and a city wall 8 meters thick. , all made of huge stones. These two well-preserved and rare historical centers from the Ottoman Empire, which have been inhabited from ancient times to the present, have been included in the World Heritage List as cultural heritage!

#tripblazers 📌"Berat Castle" 📍Address: Rruga Mihal Komnena 5001, Berat, Albania Berat Castle, a fortress landmark in the city of Berat, Albania, lies high above the Osum River. After many centuries of stone reinforcement, the exterior (perimeter) was enlarged slowly over time, under Byzantine conquerors, in the 5th, 6th, and 13th centuries. The castle is currently in restoration due in part to a UNESCO World Heritage Site acknowledgement. But when I went to visit it I highly recommend to everyone the view from Berat Castle because it is one of its highlights, and the observation deck is the best place to admire Berat’s scenery. Directly below you is the Mangalem Quarter and the splendid Church of St. Michael. You can see the famous Gorica Bridge leading to the Gorica Quarter, and the vibrant blue waters of the Osumi River. In fact, almost the whole of Berat can be seen from this very platform.

#tripblazers 📌"Berat Castle" 📍Address: Rruga Mihal Komnena 5001, Berat, Albania Churches, stone walls, and fortresses are part of the castle, which makes the Berat castle unique and beautiful. Out of all the churches in Berat, the Holy Trinity Church is the one that will most likely catch your eye. The church, perched atop a hill with winding steps going down it, overlooks Mount Shpirag and the Osumi River below. A trip up to Berat Castle is worthwhile only to see the Holy Trinity Church. Situated just a short distance above Holy Trinity Church, the main castle appeared to serve as a hub for everyone. It's a great spot to visit and see everything that goes on inside the castle walls. Most of the Byzantine-era buildings may be seen inside Berat Castle's walls. But the remnants of the Red Mosque serve as a reminder that the Ottoman Empire also had a significant impact here. According to records, the mosque is most likely among the oldest in Albania. One of the best ways to recall the castle's rich past is to watch the minaret soar into the sky.

As someone who loves to eat fruits discovering juicy and fat fruits are my favourite. Walking along the stone streets in Berat, you will find loads of olive trees, grapes, prunes and figs! I didnt know that some species of figs which are coloured green are actually ripen and ready to eat.