Things to do in Berat.
Streets with a story.

Berat Castle (Kalaja e Beratit) crowns a rocky hill above the Osum. Its walls, about 1,400 m long with 24 towers, date mainly from the 13th century, yet the Kala quarter inside is still lived in, among Byzantine churches and the Onufri Museum. UNESCO-listed since 2008, as an extension of Gjirokastër’s 2005 site.

Mangalem Quarter climbs in terraces from the Osum to the castle hill and was home to Berat’s Muslim community; since 2008 it has been part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its 18th–19th-century houses, stone below and timber above, stack up so many windows that Berat is called the “city of a thousand windows”.

Gorica Quarter faces the castle from the left bank of the Osum and is reached from the centre over Gorica Bridge. Long the home of Berat’s Orthodox community, it has small stone houses high on the slope and larger merchants’ homes with ornate verandas lower down, many rebuilt after the 1851 earthquake.

Opened in 1986 inside Berat Castle’s Cathedral of the Dormition (1797), the Onufri Iconographic Museum shows icons and church objects from the 14th to the 20th century. It is named after the 16th-century painter Onufri, famed for his red, and also has work by his son Nikolla, David Selenica and the Çetiri family.

Ura e Goricës (Gorica Bridge) goes back to 1777, when Ahmet Kurt Pasha replaced an older wooden crossing; repaired after the 1880 floods, it crosses the Osum on stone arches to the Gorica quarter. Every 6 January a cross is thrown into the river here.

Near the village of Bogovë in Skrapar, Bogova Waterfall drops about 20 metres into a deep green pool. It is protected as a natural monument for its hydrological and scenic value, and in summer its cool air draws visitors and climbers.

Mali i Tomorrit (Mount Tomorr) rises above Berat to 2,416 metres, with oak and pine woods and alpine meadows. On 20–25 August Bektashi pilgrims climb to the tomb of Abaz Ali high on the mountain; the rest of the year its trails suit mountain walks, so arrange transport and check the weather.

Tabja is a fortified tower in the walls of Kalaja e Beratit (Berat Castle), named after an Ottoman term for a structure built purely for defence. From the top, the Osum and Ura e Goricës (Gorica Bridge) come into view, so visitors stop here for photos.

The Osum River runs through Berat between the Mangalem and Gorica quarters; further upstream it has carved the Osum Canyon near Çorovodë. In town, enjoy it from Ura e Goricës; the canyon, known for rafting and walking, needs a separate trip.

The Muzeu Etnografik (Ethnographic Museum) occupies an 18th-century Berat house with a courtyard and çardak (covered veranda), and holds some 1,400 objects. The ground floor recreates the old bazaar with craft tools; upstairs are the guest and family rooms.

Kantina Nurellari is a winery in the hills around Berat that combines traditional winemaking with modern technology. A visit can include a walk through the vineyards, a look at how the wine is made and a tasting with local produce; get in touch beforehand.

Sinjë, a village and administrative unit of Berat municipality, keeps the ruins of a medieval castle and old churches amid green hills. In the same area lies Liqeni i Mbreshtanit (Mbreshtan Lake), with clear water, so the two pair easily in a day out of town.