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After spending 4 very pleasant days in Himare (see my blog Himare, Albania: Travel Guide) we drove up to Berat for a one night stay. We then continued on to Kruje (see my blog Kruje, Albania: Travel Guide).
Contents
1. Introduction
Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site like Gjirokaster, but fortunately much more interesting. I found Gjirokaster very disappointing as detailed in my blog Gjirokaster, Albania: Nothing Special!. We certainly felt that Berat deserved a 1 night stop over.
It takes about half a day to see the main sights in Berat. These are:
Berat's huge inhabited castle.
The Moslem Mangalemi neighbourhood.
The Christian Gorica neighbourhood.
Berat's central area north of the Usumi River with the King's Mosque, Leaden Mosque and the Boulevard Republika with its cafes and restaurants.
2. Berat Castle
We walked up the steep cobbled street called Mihal Komneno to reach Berat Castle entrance. Locals drive up but we wanted some exercise. I also try to avoid driving in historic centres if possible as the driving can get very hairy.
Berat Castle is always open as there are inhabited dwellings within the castle walls. We didn't pay an entrance fee as we got there after 18.00 as it had been raining heavily in the afternoon. The castle's website indicates there is an entrance fee of 300 Lek (Eur3) between 09.00 to 16.00 from Tuesday to Saturday and between 09.00 to 14.00 on a Sunday.
The other 2 castles (Gjirokaster & Palermo) that we visited in Albania weren't very ancient and only dated back to the early 1800's. Berat castle is old with many structures dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. It was much more interesting than the other 2 castles.
Berat Castle covers a huge area and consists of walls, fortifications, streets, mosques and churches. You need a minimum of an hour to see the castle and if you explore it fully it could take up to 2 hours. There are several signs throughout the site suggesting routes to follow and providing information on the structures.
There are some small restaurants within the castle walls near the entrance. The Bradt guide book recommends the Klea and the Onufri restaurants.
3. The Moslem Mangalemi neighbourhood
It is the Mangalemi neighbourhood that gave Berat its nickname of the City of a Thousand Windows. It is best viewed in the evening from the bridge over to Gorica or from Gorica's riverside. It is very atmospheric during the evening call to prayer and you don't feel that you are in Europe.
Shops and restaurants line the north side of the road that follows the riverbank. Unfortunately the road is busy and it isn't a particularly special walk. However, it is worth walking a short way to the Gorica Bridge that was built in 1780. It is a beautiful stone bridge that crosses over to the Christian Gorica neighbourhood of Berat.
4. The Christian Gorica neighbourhood
It is very pleasant wandering around the old streets of Gorica and there is very little traffic. It is mainly a quiet residential area and there aren't many shops or restaurants.
5. Berat's Central Area North of the River
The area to the east of the Bachelors's Mosque in Mangalemi is flat and runs south eastwards along the river Osumi. There are some historical buildings to see like the King's Mosque and the Leaden Mosque.
Boulevard Republika is the liveliest street in Berat and is lined with cafes and restaurants on the northern side. It's a good place to eat with plenty of opportunity to people watch.
6. Accommodation in Berat
We stayed in a fantastic 3 bedroom luxury penthouse apartment in Berat for only Eur 45 per night. It can be booked through Booking.com. Details of the apartment are on my blog titled UK to Greek Islands Accommodation - Part 2. It is number 8 on this blog.
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