Dubbed the "City of a Thousand Windows", Berat is considered the most beautiful Albanian city. Its old town climbing the slope towards the fortress is inscribed on the UNESCO list. It consists of traditional houses from the Turkish period, among which you can see historic mosques and churches.
The history of the city dates back to the Illyrian times, when there was a settlement here. In the 2nd century BC it was conquered by the Romans, and then it came under the Byzantine rule. It was a significant commercial center and the seat of bishops in the early Middle Ages.
The Berat Castle rises above the buildings on the hill. From its walls you can admire the views of the surrounding area. Within the walls there are ruins of the Red and White Mosque and located in the Cathedral of St. Maria National Museum of Onuphrius Icons. It presents icons painted by master Onuphrius and his students who created the most famous school of icon writing in Albania.
Right at the entrance to the castle there is a small Orthodox church of St. Theodora, the interior of which is covered with ancient polychromes, and by the walls you can see the church of the Holy Trinity covered with a dome. It is also not far from here to the Ethnographic Museum presenting monuments of the material culture of Berat inhabitants from the Turkish period.
Below the Castle there is the Mangalem district, i.e. the Old Town of Berat, which slopes down in terraced form towards the river. It is thanks to this part of buildings that Berat received the nickname of the City of a thousand windows, which are best visible here, especially in the evenings. A must-see during your stay in Berat is a walk along the narrow streets of the old town and admiring its panorama from the Gorica district, which you can walk to via the stone Gorica Bridge.
Many interesting religious monuments can be found in the buildings of Berat. There are, among others St. Dmitri, Orthodox Church of St. Spirydona, Orthodox Church of St. Thomas, Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel, as well as the Lead Mosque, the Royal Mosque, and the Mosque of the Knights. Interesting sights are the Turkish inn Chanaka Halveti, leading to the Old Town Pasha Gate and the House of Caca Dollani.
While in Berat, it is worth going to the phenomenal Osumi Canyon located several kilometers away. It stretches for 26 km and delights with caves and magnificent rock walls. You can also take advantage of the offer of companies organizing rafting.
