Berat: The City of a Thousand Windows
There are tons of wonderful things to do in Berat, a charming city in southern Albania. Nicknamed “The City of a Thousand Windows”, it has many homes, hotels, and restaurants with white-washed walls and analogous rectangular windows. The city is located in a valley surrounded by beautiful hills, and is divided into two parts: the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is home to many historical landmarks, including the Berat Castle and the Gorica Bridge. The New Town is a more modern area, with shops, restaurants, and cafes. Berat was one of the cheapest places in Albania we went to; our Airbnb was a 2-bedroom condo that was only $26/night and had this view:
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Berat may not get the hype that other Albanian cities receive, but it certainly deserves it! It’s filled with unique history, beautiful surrounding nature, delicious food, and as we mentioned earlier, is extremely cheap! If you want a guided tour of the highlights of Berat, make sure to check out this experience! Let’s get into the best things to do in Berat!
Best Things to do in Berat, Albania
1. Explore the Castle and View Berat From Above
This castle, built in 4th century BC, is incredibly unique. The castle is still very much in tact and there are still people living in it! You can find ruins, such as the Red Mosque, but restaurants, guest houses, random shops and residences live amongst these ruins. We can’t decide whether strolling through the castle’s charming cobblestone pathways or the magnificent views from the top are better. Hint: The “Shortcut to the Berat Castle” on Google Maps is definitely a shortcut, but it has a much steeper incline!
2. Day Trip to Bogove Waterfall and Osumi Canyon
A tour to the Bogove Waterfall and Osumi Canyon is the best thing to do in Berat for any nature lover. The open air jeep both off-roading and zooming through the gorgeous mountains was a trip in itself! The waterfall is fun, although absolutely freezing no matter what time of year you visit. The jeep ride and waterfall were just bonuses to the highlight, the stunning Osumi Canyon. After stopping at a few gorgeous viewpoints of the canyon, we left our valuables in the jeep and spent a couple hours swimming against the surprisingly strong current deeper into the canyon before lazily floating back out. Book this tour here! If you’re into rafting, you can book an Osumi Canyon Rafting experience here! If you want to see more of what it is like, check out the TikTok we made!
3. Visit the Beautiful Religious Sites in the Area
Berat, and Albania has an interesting but ideal religious influence going on. Albania is largely Muslim but has a large Christian population, and people of the two religions get along extremely well, although this wasn’t always the case. Xhamia Mbret, the Bachelor’s Mosque, and St. Michael’s Church are all worth visiting. This is St. Michael’s Church, which doesn’t have too much inside, but the views of it and the surrounding mountains are gorgeous during any time of day!
4. Explore the Mangalem Quarter
The historic Mangalem Quarter is a historically Muslim neighborhood that makes up a large part of the Berat old town. This is arguably the most interesting and unique part of Berat! This neighborhood was built out during the Ottoman period and is very well preserved. If you have some free time, wander the alleyways or simply relax in the plaza pictured below!
5. Take a Traditional Albanian Cooking Class
We recommend doing a cooking class while you’re in Berat. Berat is one of the lesser-touristy areas of Albania, so you’ll get a really authentic experience in a lot of your activities, and this is no different! To be honest, our host did most of the cooking, but we learned a ton about Albanian culture (not just the cuisine)! This cooking class was hard to get a hold of, but you can book a different cooking class here!
6. Walk the Bustling Promenade
I know what you’re thinking. This photo is the complete opposite of “bustling”. During the day, you’re 100% correct. However, come nighttime, the (seemingly) entire city of Berat comes out to eat, drink, laugh, play board games and watch their kids run around the crowded promenade. This is a must-do while in Berat, both during the day and night times.
7. Dive Into Ancient History at the Iconographic Museum
If you’re a history connoisseur, this is the best thing to do in Berat! The Iconographic Museum (Muzeu Kombëtar Ikonografik Onufri) houses tons of ancient religious artifacts/artwork from various churches across Albania. This costs $4 USD and is located within the castle walls.
8. Walk the Historic Gorica Bridge
This bridge connects the two parts of Berat Old Town previously split by the Osumi River and has been in place since the 18th century. It started off as a wood bridge but has been reconstructed a few times since then. We love a good pedestrian bridge, and its views of the two sides of Berat are spectacular!
9. Sample Albanian Wine
Just like the rest of the things in beautiful Albania, the wine is severely underrated. While Raki, the brandy that is made with various fruits, steals the show, it’s worth sampling the wine in Albania! There are a few vineyards and wineries in the area surrounding Berat. Tour these, sample the wine, and have a driver take care of taking you back to Berat! Book your wine tasting tour here.
Where to Stay in Berat
Berat Accommodations
How To Get To Berat
The best way to get to Berat from outside the country is by flying into Tirana (book cheap flights with Skyscanner). We recommend renting a car to get to Berat (which you can book here) as this will give you a ton of flexibility in exploring the greater Berat region.
How to Get to Berat from Tirana
Buses leave fairly frequently (see schedules and buy tickets here) to Berat from Tirana’s South and North Station, take 2 hours, and cost around $7 USD. Tirana has four different bus stations depending on where you’re going (airport, international, east, or north/south), so it’s important to pay attention to which station you’ll be leaving from!
If you want to do a day trip from Tirana to Berat, you can book this full-day tour, or this one if you are also interested in wine tasting!
If you want a private shuttle from Tirana to Berat, we recommend booking with this service.
How to Get to Berat from Përmet
The budget option is to take the 12:45 pm bus leaving from this bus station that takes 3 hours and costs around $15 USD. You can take a taxi but this will cost upwards of $100. Book tickets in advance here!
Best Time to Visit Berat
The best time of year to visit Berat depends on your interests. If you want to swim or raft in the Osumi River, you should visit in the summer. While this is Albania’s tourist season, Berat is far from crowded. However, if you simply want to enjoy the city of Berat, the best times to visit are late spring and early fall.
Keep Exploring Albania…
- The Absolute Best 2 Week Albania Itinerary
- The Best Things to do in Përmet
- Ksamil: Home of Crystal Clear Waters and Stunning Views
- The Best Things to do in Gjirokaster
- Wonderful Things to do in Himarë
- Theth Blue Eye and Grunas Waterfall Hike: Your Ultimate Guide
- Complete Guide to the Valbonë to Theth hike
- Himarë or Ksamil: Which Albanian Beach Destination is Best For You?
- Discover Kiço Meniko (Kiço Beach): The Ultimate Destination for Dining, Drinks, and a Dip
Our Favorite Travel Resources
Accommodations: We use Booking.com for hotels and HostelWorld for hostels. We also use VRBO or TrustedHousesitters for longer stays.
Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
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FAQs: Things to do in Berat
How many days should I spend in Berat?
We recommend spending 3 full days here. One day can be for the Bogove Waterfall and Osumi Canyon, and the other two days exploring the city. If you’re okay with having a busy day, you can definitely see everything in Berat city in one day.
Is Berat worth visiting?
Absolutely — it is a one-of-a-kind city known as the “city of a thousand windows”, with beautiful architecture, cuisine, people, and nature.
What is Berat known for?
The most unique thing about Berat is definitely it’s architecture. The old town as well as the castle (which still has people living in it) are extremely unique.
