Today we will head to Berat, a must visit city during your stay in Albania.
Also known as the city of thousand windows, in Berat you will enjoy the vibes of the past, an environment which you will find very pleasant.
With a very particular charm, this little city is part of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO since 2008.
The most adventurous will surely make their way up to the fortress of Berat by foot, but for the others to go there by car is also a possibility. To have a walk inside the fortress means to see closer the charming characteristic white houses of the city, to visit the ruins of this ancient fortress as well as to discover some little secrets such as the statue of the head of Constantine the Great, the church of St Theodor built with red bricks and the cistern of the Byzantine Era who was used to save the water.
In the fortress you can also find the museum of the famous Albanian painter of the 16th century, Onufri. Some of his works are placed in the museum together with other painters’ works. By entering the museum you can also visit a small church, where were found two codex of the VI th and IX th century. Today these codex’s are stored in Tirana and are also listed in the UNESCO.
From the ruins of the Berati castle you will have the opportunity to admire a view of the Tomorri Mountain, in the east of the city with a height of 2416 m. This mountain is also famous because it is a pilgrimage place for the Bektachi, second largest religion in Albania. From the castle of Berat you can also see a building that looks like the White House in Washington DC: Albanian University of Berat, a private one. Even though it is a relatively new construction it perfectly matches the architecture of the city and the traditional white houses.
Once back down in the city you can walk through the main street of Berat and so discover the main sites like the new cathedral and the big mosque.
We invite you to “get lost” in the Mangalemi neighbourhood, with small and narrow streets. There you can find the Bachelors’ Mosque and a big number of shops to pick up some souvenirs.
If you are still in for more you can cross the bridge and visit other neighbourhoods, Gorica and Kala, with multiple windows houses, who will surely enchant you.
Author Julie Terrol ©Ecotour Albania
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