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Berat

Western Balkans Travel Guide

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Berat city

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Overview

Berat weaves its own very special magic, and is easily a highlight of visiting Albania. Its most striking feature is the collection of white Ottoman houses climbing up the hill to its castle, earning it the title of 'town of a thousand windows' and helping it join Gjirokastra on the list of Unesco World Heritage sites, in 2008. Its rugged mountain setting is particularly evocative when the clouds swirl around the tops of the minarets, or break up to show the icy peak of Mt Tomorri. Despite now being a big centre for tourism in Albania, Berat has managed to retain its easy-going charm and friendly atmosphere.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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    Kalaja

    Berat

    Hidden behind the crumbling walls of the fortress that crowns the hill above Berat is the whitewashed, village-like neighbourhood of Kala; if you walk…

  • Onufri Museum

    Onufri Museum

    Berat

    The Onufri Museum is situated in the Kala quarter's biggest church, the Church of the Dormition of St Mary (Kisha Fjetja e Shën Mërisë). The church itself…

  • Mangalem Quarter

    Mangalem Quarter

    Berat

    Down in the traditionally Muslim Mangalem quarter, there are three grand mosques: the Sultan's Mosque, the Lead Mosque and the Bachelors' Mosque. All are…

  • Bogove Waterfall

    Bogove Waterfall

    Berat

    They might be fairly small, but these waterfalls, which from a distance appear to disappear in and out of the rocks, have a rare beauty and make for a…

  • Ethnographic Museum

    Ethnographic Museum

    Berat

    Just off the steep hillside that leads up to Berat's castle is this excellent museum, which is housed in a beautiful 18th-century Ottoman house that's as…

  • Sultan's Mosque

    Sultan's Mosque

    Berat

    The 16th-century Sultan's Mosque is one of the oldest in Albania. The Helveti teqe (a place of worship for those practising the Bektashi branch of Islam)…

  • Chapel of St Michael

    Chapel of St Michael

    Berat

    Perched on a cliff ledge below the castle is the artfully positioned 14th-century chapel of St Michael, best viewed from the Gorica quarter across the…

  • Church of the Holy Trinity

    Church of the Holy Trinity

    Berat

    The substantial and picturesque Church of the Holy Trinity sits below the upper fortress. Of all the churches within the fortress walls, it's the best…

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