As soon as I arrived in Albania, Berat was all anybody talked about.
This ‘City of a Thousand Windows’ in Southern Albania, surrounded by mountains and filled with mosques and churches was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 (twinned with the city of Gjirokastra), and it’s no wonder that people are slowly catching on to it’s charm.
With the Osum River snaking its way through the centre of town, separating the equally beautiful Gorica and Mangelemi quarters, the city of Berat Albania is comprised of hundreds of white stone buildings (the origin of the name ‘Berat’ actually means ‘white city’) and cobbled streets.
Despite its growing reputation as a ‘must-see’ destination in Albania, Berat still remains relatively untouched by tourism. Aside from the English translations on the menus in popular restaurants and quaint guesthouses popping up here and there, the majority of people you’ll see on the streets of Berat are locals. Children play and kittens hunt for prey under the pomegranate trees, while old men congregate to play backgammon and drink Turkish coffee, a hark back to the Ottoman rule.
Honestly, if the kittens and coffee aren’t enough to persuade you to visit Berat, then you probably need to go and have a word with yourself. However, after you’re done having that word, come back and read the rest of my article about why Berat Albania is so damn incredible, including the best things to do in Berat, where to stay, and things you should know before you visit.
The Best Things to Do in Berat, Albania
Berat, Albania – Things You Should Know Before You Visit
The currency in Albania is the Albanian Lek (ALL).
Public transport is notoriously unreliable and you will not find online timetables, nor can you buy bus tickets in advance. Bus stops are not always signposted but locals are always very happy to help if you are lost! Usually your hostel or guesthouse will have a printed bus timetable.
Much like the rest of Albania, Berat is extremely safe. Petty crime and violence are practically unheard of in Albania. If you want to know more then I wrote an entire article about safety in Albania here!
Albanian people are hands down the friendliest people I’ve ever met on my travels. You will be offered food, raki and taught how to do the traditional Albanian dance!
Berat Albania is incredibly cheap. A coffee will cost you 35 cents, you can get a meal in a nice restaurant for 3 EUR and even go wine tasting for 12 EUR!
The Albanian language is shqip and it is different to any language you’ve ever heard before! While many Albanians in hospitality speak English, speaking Italian is your best bet as most Albanians (even the older generations) speak Italian. Albanians also nod their head ‘yes’ when they mean ‘no’!
You should always carry cash with you. Not many places in Berat Albania (or most of Albania for that matter!) accept card, and ATMs are often Visa or Mastercard, not both.
Getting To Berat Albania
Berat is pretty easy to get to from the capital of Tirana. Buses leave every hour or so from the main bus station, and you don’t need to reserve a ticket. Simply turn up at the station (contrary to some online sources, there is a bus station in Tirana) and hordes of Albanian men will be yelling various place names at you. Find the guy yelling ‘Berat!’ and follow him. Journey time is 2/3 hours.
If you want to rent a car in Albania then bear in mind that, while renting a car is cheap, the roads in Albania are not always in the best condition and the drivers are known to be erratic and aggressive. Read my post about safety in Albania for more information about driving in Albania!
If you prefer to see Berat with a guide, this full-day tour from Tirana to Berat with private transport is a great idea.
Things to Do in Berat Albania
Travel for me is not finding a list of ‘must-do’ things in a city and ticking them off one by one. For me, travel is good food, good coffee, and slowly integrating myself into a place, becoming part of the furniture. I like to sit in cafes and people watch, find the local dive bars and wander around aimlessly, making connections with locals and not planning too much.
That said, while the pace of life in Berat is slow and it is a small city, there are a surprising number of things to do in Berat, and so I have compiled the best ones here!
1. Explore Mangalemi and Gorica
When I travel, I love to explore by foot, walking down any street that takes my fancy and seeing what I find. In Berat, the narrow cobbled streets are where you’ll see snapshots of locals going about their daily lives, as well as stunning architecture and views to the other side of the river (the two neighbourhoods are opposite each other and are both beautiful). If you’re somebody that’s always on the hunt for Instagramworthy spots then Mangelemi and Gorica are the places to be, and you’ll also find sweet little gift shops like the one pictured below!
2. Visit the churches and mosques
Albania is a Muslim country, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it if it weren’t for the abundance of beautiful mosques! Albanians, while they identify as Muslim, do not necessarily practice the religion. They drink alcohol, the woman do not cover their hair, and I have never met a single Albanian that prays five times a day.
In fact, as my adopted Uncle Petrit says ‘it is forbidden to go into the mosque drunk, but I don’t think I’ve ever been in sober!’
Perhaps because Albania is so secular in practice, Albania is one of the most tolerant countries in terms of religion that there is. Albania is a country where people of different religions live side by side and there truly is no underlying tension and conflict. Religious differences are just not something that people think about.
On the Mangelemi side of the river, just behind the main walking street, there are tonnes of old mosques and churches that you are free to go in and explore. In one of the mosques, two local kids showed me around and explained the basics of where everything was, and that they must pray facing Mecca etc. It was nothing I didn’t already know but it was quite cute all the same. Of course, I gave them some money at the end of my little ‘tour’ but they never asked for it.
3. Walk down Bulevardi Republika
All across Albania, there is a kind of tradition that when dusk hits, everybody takes a stroll down the main high street, or ‘walking street’ as they are known. It is the time when everybody socialises, smokes and drinks coffee together, and if you really want to get a feel for Balkan culture then this is definitely something you want to be a part of!
Due to the heat, Bulevardi Republika is pretty quiet during the day, but being a true Brit abroad, the heat didn’t bother me, and so I went there quite often in the afternoon for a Turkish coffee. At 35 cents a time, why not?!
4. Visit the National Ethnographic Museum
There are a few museums in Berat, Albania (the city was actually christened ‘Museum City’ by former communist dictator Enver Hoxha), but one that you shouldn’t miss is the National Ethnographic Museum. The exhibit is in a traditional Berati house that would have been home to the land owning classes. Not only can you wander through the house and see how people of years gone by would have lived, but there is also an impressive selection of traditional embroidered costumes, as well as over 1000 traditional objects.
Not only is the museum an impressive work of Ottoman architecture, but it was also fascinating to learn about Albanian culture (there are information sheets in various languages). For example, the house had multiple guest rooms, not for friends as such, but just in case a stranger were to knock on the door needing a bed for the night – this is how hospitable Albanians are!
The National Ethnographic Museum in Berat costs 200 ALL to enter and is free on Sundays. Due to current requirements, you must wear a mask inside (they are provided onsite if you don’t have one) and sanitise your hands before entering. Check Google for up to date opening times.
5. Go wine tasting!
There are many wineries around Berat but the one I wholeheartedly recommend is Kantina Alpeta in the nearby village of Roshnik, with the lovely Fiska family. I’ve written about them before, so now I will just say that wine tasting at Kantina Alpeta will not be something you forget in a hurry (and at 12 EUR for wine and food, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you missed out!).
6. Get some bargains at the flea market
Known to locals as the ‘gypsy market’ (I didn’t know if the community themselves consider this to be a slur so I erred on the side of caution and decided to refer to it here as a flea market), this huge outdoor market is just full of amazing bits and bobs at unbelievable prices! I got four items of clothing (the most expensive was 2 EUR, the other three items were all 40 cents) and my friends all found similar bargains.
The flea market in Berat has absolutely everything you could possibly imagine, from old Nokia phones and handmade jewellery, coffee pots and homemade raki to vintage clothes and, let’s face it, a whole lot of junk.
Even if you don’t want to buy anything, it’s worth wandering around just to see the local sellers in action – I was enamoured by the women working on the stalls, many of whom were in their seventies and sporting long plaits down to their bottoms, multiple hoop earrings, tattooed forearms and flowing purple skirts. They were amazing.
The flea market is open on Saturday mornings but, as with most other things in Albania, this can always change. I recommend asking the staff at your hostel or guesthouse.
7. Eat the local cuisine!
Berat has no shortage of incredible restaurants (with incredible prices!). My favourites are Wildor, Antigoni and Restaurant Roshniku (owned by the same family that own the winery I mentioned above). Whether you want baked rabbit with okra and aubergine, hearty homemade pie (burek), baked cheese or slow-roasted goat with winter vegetables, you will not be disappointed by the Balkan grub in Berat.
8. Watch the sunset at Berat Castle
Okay, confession time – despite being in Berat for almost two weeks, I didn’t hike up to the castle. HOWEVER, many people do, and I have it on good authority that the view (and sunset) is a sight to behold. There is no entrance fee as there is actually an entire village up there, so something that most people do is explore on foot before finding a nice restaurant or bar to enjoy the view from.
Budget Accommodation in Berat
Berat Backpackers
I stayed at Berat Backpackers hostel and I loved it so much that I ended up staying for almost two weeks! Situated in the heart of the Gorica quarter in a 300 year old UNESCO protected building, Berat Backpackers was the first ever backpacker hostel to open in Berat, and the second in the whole of Albania!
Not only is the building absolutely beautiful (with a great free breakfast too!), but what really makes Berat Backpackers special is the staff. Every day the staff members and volunteers are happy to hang out with the guests in the stunning gardens of the hostel, and not a day went by where I didn’t drink locally produced wine under the fruit trees and fairy lights and come to the conclusion that I was going to have to extend for an extra night!
To book your stay at Berat Backpackers, click here!
Maya Hostel
Maya Hostel is another gorgeous place to stay in Berat. Sitting just on the riverbank with stunning views, a wonderful breakfast and garden to hang out in, Maya Hostel also has lovely private and dorm rooms with stone walls, wooden beamed ceilings and beautiful decor.
To book your stay at Maya Hostel, just click here!
So, would I recommend that you visit Berat Albania?
Er, absolutely! To date, Berat is one of my favourite places of all time (and I’ve travelled a lot!). Berat is a charming city with beautiful views, a Mediterranean climate and an abundance of wonderful restaurants and wineries, not to mention some of the best people in the world! While people are slowly catching on to its beauty, it is still well off the beaten track, and so you won’t find yourself surrounded by other tourists (especially if you visit in shoulder season). I can’t recommend you to visit Berat Albania enough – just make sure you head there soon, before everybody knows about it!
Tours in Albania
When I travel, I always like to support small local businesses and learn more about a culture by taking part in a small organised tour. Here are some of the best tours that you can do in Albania:
Go wine tasting and stay at an agrotourism farm in the village of Roshnik, near Berat. Options include horse riding, mountain trekking, swimming in the lake, wine and food tasting.
Enjoy a half-day cruise of Skadar Lake and the River of Crnojevic.
Hike Gamti Mountain and enjoy views over Bovilla Lake.
Head to the magical city of Prizren in Kosovo for the day.
Visit Osum Canyon and Bogove Waterfall in Berat.
Visit The Blue Eye and Lekuresi Castle from Saranda.
Enjoy a 2-day private tour of Theth National Park.
Enjoy a guided tour of Apollonia National Park from Vlora.
Experience a full-day tour of Zvernec Monastery with lunch (from Vlora).
Take part in a half-day tour of Llogara National Park.
Enjoy a private tour of Butrint Archaeological Park.
Take a day trip from Tirana to Berat.
Of course, there are plenty more tours on offer in Albania but these are my top recommendations!
More Albania Guides
Guide to Travelling in Albania
37 Reasons to Visit Albania
Things to Do in Tirana
3 Day Tirana Itinerary
Best Beaches in Albania
Guide to Gjirokastra
How to Visit the Blue Eye
Safety in Albania
Guide to Albanian Coffee
The Perfect Albanian Winery in Berat
Have you ever been to Berat? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
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What a beautiful place! So much breathtaking views. I’m glad you had a great adventure. Wonderful post!
Maya Hostel is another gorgeous place to stay in Berat. Sitting just o Amazing article thank you for making it.
Yes, I stayed there on one of my visits! Thank you for commenting 🙂