Berat

Berat has the epithet of ‘city of a thousand windows’ for its unique architecture, with Ottoman houses on both sides of the Osum river.

The main attraction of Berat is the Castle of Berat.

Berat Castle is one of the most popular destinations for tourists who visit Albania. The whole city of Berat itself is like a museum, with old stone houses. This city is the perfect place to visit especially for those interested in history, culture, and architecture. Taking the stone road through Mangalem we go for a visit to this Old Castle originating from 2500 years ago. Recording data show evidence of the Roman period in the years 200 B.C and also the Byzantine. The Castle of Berat is a habituated place even today and you will notice the locals as you walk through the castle. It offers an amazing panorama overlooking Osum River at the bottom and behind is located the Tomorr mountain. Inside the castle walls, there are some restaurants serving traditional food and also souvenir shops in case you need to buy something to take as a memory for your visit to Berat.

We definitely recommend the city of Berat as it offers some interesting attractions and it is not a surprise it is one of the most preferred cities by tourists. On a tour of Berat city, you should visit the museums and the castle, especially the ‘Onufri Museum’.

Another specialty of the city is culinary, take a food and wine tour in one of Berat winery cantine. These are some of the reasons that will surely make a visit to Berat city and its attractions a rewarding experience.

Besides the city and the castle, Berat offers natural and cultural attractions, the most important being Tomorri Mountain and also Osumi Canyons in nearby Corovoda.

Tomorr mountain is probably the most famous mountain in Albania. It is the home and the place where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel during the holy days of ‘Kulmak’, a Bekthashi celebration. In Tomorr is located in the most famous mosque of the bektashi religion. People arrive here at this holy place and light a candle, during the celebrations in summer, people come and make camping here usually for 2 days.

Berat is accessible by bus transport from Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Fier, and Vlora. There are regular bus lines operating toward Berat. However, the best way to arrive to Berat is by private car.

To get the most out of Berat, hire a professional guide and explore the city.

Take a food and drink tour in Berat and enjoy the traditional foods also the famous rakija for which the city is very notable for producing, also the winery houses in the villages of Berat.

Berat is a lively city and the boulevard has coffee shops and visitors at any season of the year.

We recommend a 2-day tour in Berat, one day visiting the city and the attractions like the castle, museums, and the other day visiting one of the 2 natural attractions like Osumi Canyons and Tomor Mountain.

Berat is located almost 2 hours away from Tirana by private car and almost 3 hours away by bus.

It is no surprise why Berat has made the list of Unesco World Heritage Sites. Visit the castle of Berat, Onufri Museum, Osumi Canyons, Tomor Mountain, and Bogova waterfall, and visit traditional local restaurants and wineries.

Berat is a medieval city built on the hillside with an Ottoman influence that can be seen in every house.

It’s interesting that people still live inside the walls of Berat castle. Once there were a lot of churches inside the castle, which have been lost because of many wars and especially during the communist era. You can find restaurants serving traditional foods, and souvenir shops to make the discovery of Berat more enjoyful.

The most lively area in Berat city is undoubtedly the boulevard which is filled with coffee shops, restaurants, ice cream shops, and markets. Enjoy an evening walk on the boulevard with the castle shining at the top.

To arrive at Berat Castle you can walk for 30 minutes and reach the castle gate. You can also hire a taxi or travel with your car and park it at one of the parking spots outside the castle.

You can expect to arrive in 1 and a half hours from Berat to Osumi Canyons. These magnificent 13 km long canyons offer the perfect spot for adventurers. Those who want to enjoy the canyons to the maximum can explore them by rafting, which is an adventure to remember forever.

There are a number of Hotels in Berat center, also there are a lot of guesthouses.

Berat is a city with cheap prices, you can expect to pay less than 1$ for a coffee at the city boulevard, the same for a rakija shot, 2$ for a beer, 2$ for a sandwich, 40$ for a hotel room, 10$ for a traditional steak.

Osumi Canyons, Tomor mountain, and Bogova waterfall are the most interesting attractions for tourists to visit in Berat.

Traditional dishes in Berat are meat dishes, desserts, and also traditional winery shops in the nearby villages like Roshnik.

You can get the most out of the Berat experience at any part of the year. A visit to this important historical city is a worthy experience.

Berat is absolutely a safe place for tourists.

One of the most famous locations and the ‘ground’ for rafting in Albania is absolutely the 13 km Canyon of Osum river in the south of Albania. Rafting in Osumi Canyons is an adventure that will last in your memories for a lifetime! These Canyons are 80 m deep and from 4 to 35 meters wide, with mesmerizing beauty inside. Still very little explored until lately, nature at its highest quality here, one of the most spectacular attractions you can visit in Albania. Rafting in Osumi Canyons will make you disconnect from the reality of modern times for almost 3 hours as you get to enjoy the rock formations created in this gorge, and also the legends surrounding this natural attraction of Albania. To arrive in Osumi Canyons takes almost 3 and a half hours by private car and a little more by bus. Along the way to Osumi Canyons, you will pass through Berat City, a Unesco Site. You can have a stop here in this beautiful 2500-year-old city, rich in history, culture, and architecture. Albaniatourism.al offers a variety of packages for adventure activities like rafting, those interested can contact us and find the best option for them, and we will help with every detail needed.

You can get most of the historical medieval city of Berat in one day, from the visit to the castle and the museums to the traditional foods and winery villages, one day is more than enough to start a trip from Tirana to Berat.