Known as the city of a thousand windows, Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its small white houses with a similar pattern are Berat’s trademark. Even though the list of places to visit in Berat is not very long, it is a city that is well worth exploring in Albania 😊

Apart from the houses with Ottoman design, Berat is full of surprises. A castle high above that offers one of the best views of the city, a river that flows between the Mangalem and Gorica quarters and much more. So continue reading to find out what you can’t miss in Berat.

The best time to visit Berat is during spring and summer (May to October). The town is busier and the temperatures are milder. Nevertheless, the temperatures are not very extreme at any time of the year, so any time of the year is a good time to visit Berat to be totally honest 😊

Berat is a city that, although very interesting, has few points of interest. One day in the city is more than enough to get to know it well! You can easily walk from one point to another, without the need for additional transport!

Moreover, Berat’s location does not make the city a very strategic point when we are organizing our Albania itinerary, as it is far away from the main points of interest in the country. Therefore, one night in the city is the ideal duration to ensure that you visit it and continue with your Albania itinerary.

Berat has no airport so the easiest way to get there is by plane to Tirana (Albania’s capital) and then by land to Berat.

To make your job easier when looking for flights, these are some European destinations with direct flights to Tirana:

• Italy (Milan, Bari, Verona, Venice, Rome, Pisa)
• Germany (Memmingen, Berlin, Munich)
• Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich)
• Spain (Barcelona, Madrid)
• Belgium (Brussels)
• France (Lyon, Nice, Paris)
• United Kingdom (London)
• Netherlands (Eindhoven)

Without a doubt, the fastest and simplest way to get to Berat from Tirana is by car. The journey takes about 1h50 and the distance is 122 km.

However, it is also possible to use the bus to make this trip (500 LEK). However, in that case the journey duration increases to 2h45. The bus departs from here every 30 minutes from 5:40 am to 5:30 pm. Nevertheless, I recommend you check the most up-to-date information about this service here.

💡 EXTRA TIP: The bus terminal in Tirana is about 20 minutes drive from Tirana airport as well as from the city centre, so the best option to get there is by taxi. The bus stop in Berat is also slightly outside the centre, and you can choose to take a 2nd bus that runs every 15 minutes towards the historic centre.

Finally, there are also several tours available that facilitate transport between Tirana and Berat. Check out some of the tours available:

The official currency of Albania is LEK and as of today’s (September 2022) this is the exchange rate against the Euro: 1 EUR = 117 LEK. Albanian currency can only be purchased and exchanged in Albania!

Albania is a country that still operates very much on a cash basis. You will often hear “only cash”. So, one of the biggest recommendations is to get cash as soon as you arrive in the country and always carry some cash with you as you never know when you’ll be able to use a card 😜

Sometimes restaurants and shops also accept Euros (and other currencies such as Dollars or Pounds), but always check if the exchange rate they suggest is beneficial for you! In my experience, it rarely is.

First of all, I recommend using a Revolut Card, since it will not charge you additional fees for using a different currency (either when you pay with the card or when you withdraw money). You can read more about how the Revolut card works here.

However, although Revolut does not charge additional fees for withdrawing money in another currency, most banks in Albania charge heavy fees for such withdrawals (one of the highest fees I saw was 6.8€). However, I found one bank that does not charge any fee – CredinsBank. Update 2023: I’ve been told that CredinsBank also started charging fees recently.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Since Albania is a country that works very much based on cash, you should still withdraw a considerable amount because you’ll need to use cash a lot. However, if you have subscribed to the most basic Revolut plan, be aware that the withdrawals without extra fees by Revolut have a monthly limit (the months are not fixed) of 200€. In my case, we had 2 Revolut cards and had to exceed the limit in one of the withdrawals.

These days, it is almost impossible to go to a country and not be reachable or not have internet. Since Albania isn’t part of the EU, everyone  pays for roaming there. So I recommend buying an Albanian data package as soon as you arrive in Albania.

At the airport there are two companies with identical packages: 35GB for 2000 LEK (~€17). The Vodafone or One stands are side by side right next to the airport entrance/exit.

I ended up choosing Vodafone and the coverage across the country was quite satisfactory! As we were 2 people, we bought only one SIM card and made hotspot between the phones. We spent 10 days travelling around the country and we still came back with more than half of the mobile data available 😉

The process of buying the card was also quite simple. It took less than 15 minutes, 10 of which were in the queue waiting. All we had to do was provide some personal details, sign a document, pay and voilà!

I stayed at Tradita e Beratit, a simply lovely accommodation that is the result of the restoration of a typical house of the region that is over 300 years old. It is a very small but truly welcoming accommodation 🥰 Nothing in the decor has been left to chance! 

In addition, Tradita e Beratit has a small restaurant where we can try a degustation menu with regional products and also where breakfast is served the next day.

If you visit Berat, you will not want to miss this accommodation, I assure you. In any case, here are a few more suggestions:

Before we start with the actual list of places you really have to visit in Berat, I’ll share here a map version of what you can find in the city:

Berat Castle is probably my favorite place in Berat. Located on the top of the hill, from here you can get some of the best views of the city and its “thousand windows”. I especially recommend the view from the observation platform.

But the incredible views from this castle don’t stop there. You can also admire Osum river, the mountains Mt. Tomorr and Mt Shpirag. In fact, legend has it that these two mountains fought over a woman in Berat.

Although the castle is not very visible for those who are down by the river, its complex is huge and there is really a lot to visit. On the map below you can see the main points of interest inside the castle:

There you’ll find monuments that are very different from one another as this castle dates back to the 4th century and has passed through several empires, such as the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires.

Of all the points of interest to visit in Berat Castle, these are the ones I especially recommend:

• Holy Trinity Church
• Red Mosque ruins
• Citadel

So, I recommend you set aside at least 1h30 to visit the castle complex. And I suggest you do it at sunset. If it’s a clear day, I promise that the orange or pink tones on the sky won’t leave you indifferent 🥰

Finally, and despite having read online that it was necessary to pay a small fee to visit the castle, I was not charged anything. There are several people living inside the walled city and also some restaurants, so maybe that’s why.

St. Demetrius Cathedral is a classical Greek Byzantine style church. Although it’s more impressive from the outside than the inside, if you get a chance to take a peek inside I see no reason why you shouldn’t 😊

Also known as Izgurli Mosque this is a mosque that dates back to the 16th century and its name comes from the coating of its domes.

This is probably the most famous and busiest street in Berat. Located on the Mangalem quarter, this is the favoured spot for locals to meet, especially at night.

And if you want a chance to photograph the famous houses of Berat, this street is also the ideal setting.

Gorica bridge connects the two banks of the Osum River – Mangalem and Gorica. It is a bridge from the time of the Ottoman Empire and one of the oldest in Albania.

Take the opportunity to cross it towards Gorica. Gorica is the calmest and quietest neighbourhood in Berat. Although it doesn’t have specific places to visit, I suggest you let yourself wander a bit in its streets.

You can also enjoy a walk by the river, this being one of the best places to observe the typical houses of Berat. For taking photos, I especially recommend this spot (in the photos below).

If you would like to learn more about the history of Berat and the culture of the Albanian people, then I suggest you add the Ethnographic Museum to your visit.

For the more adventurous, it may also be worth considering a visit to the Osum canyon. This is a gorge of the Osum River and is one of the most impressive in Albania. There are several activities available to visit this canyon, and should you choose to visit it you should add a day to your visit to Berat.

I only tried one restaurant in Berat and that was Tradita e Beratit. Yes, it is the restaurant of the place where I stayed and I really enjoyed it. The restaurant is located on the accommodation’s terrace and it is also open to people other than its guests. They specialise in serving regional dishes.

In reality, it is a tasting menu with quality products and all very well prepared. In addition, the atmosphere of the terrace at night (with the cute lights and soothing music) makes the experience even more pleasant.

Disclaimer: this post may contain some affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you buy something through my links. This doesn’t represent any additional cost to you and you’ll be supporting my work here on the blog😊