Berat: the back story

About Berat: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Two and a half hours south of Tirana, Berat climbs both banks of the Osum river: Mangalem below the castle, Gorica across the old bridge, and inside the walls the Kala quarter, where people still live among Byzantine churches.

A town of a thousand windows

Berat’s nickname comes from the rows of windows in the white houses that rise one above another on the hillside of Mangalem. UNESCO added Berat to the World Heritage List in 2008, alongside Gjirokastër, as rare examples of well-preserved Ottoman-era towns.

The Kala

The castle on the hilltop is not a ruin but a living quarter, with houses, cobbled lanes, guesthouses and a cluster of Byzantine churches inside its walls. The views over the Osum valley and Mount Tomorr are superb.

Berat has been inhabited for some 2,400 years.

Onufri

In the 16th century the painter Onufri created icons of startling colour, famous for a red that became known as Onufri red. The Onufri Museum, in a church inside the castle, displays his work and that of his followers.

Mangalem and Gorica

Below the castle, Mangalem’s lanes lead down to the riverside boulevard where the town takes its evening walk. Across the river, the Gorica bridge leads to the quieter Christian quarter of Gorica.

When to go

Spring and autumn are perfect. Summer is hot. Berat makes a long day trip from Tirana, but an overnight stay lets you see the windows light up at dusk.

Our advice: stay a night in Mangalem or inside the castle, climb to the Kala in the early morning, see the Onufri Museum, and join the evening stroll along the river, then cross the Gorica bridge for the classic view of the thousand windows.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Berat: the back story before you go.