Ethnographic Museum of Berat

The museum occupies a two-story stone house with wooden balconies and an inner courtyard – a typical example of wealthy Berat housing from the Ottoman period. The building itself is an exhibit: thick stone walls, carved ceilings, built-in wall closets, and fireplaces demonstrate how houses were constructed and furnished in the region.

The ground floor features a reconstructed medieval bazaar street – shops on both sides display examples of local crafts: filigree silverwork, woodcarving, coppersmithing, and weaving. On the porch (çardak) are tools for home industries: pottery, raki distilling, olive oil pressing, and metalworking. The courtyard houses a collection of ceramics and stone carvings, next to the well.

The second floor contains a lavish guest reception room, a women's craft room with looms and an embroidery collection, a kitchen, and living quarters. The exhibition conveys room hierarchy, household organization, and traditions of a wealthy urban family in the late medieval period. From the museum's large open terrace, there are views of the Osum River and the Gorica quarter.

Collection – over 1,300 items: clothing, utensils, craft tools, religious objects, furniture

Building – an authentic 18th-century Ottoman house, a cultural monument in its own right

Bazaar reconstruction – the ground floor recreates a medieval trading street with artisan workshops

Home industries – the porch displays tools for raki distilling, olive oil pressing, pottery making

Women's workshop – looms, embroidery, and textiles demonstrating the skill of Albanian craftswomen

The museum building was constructed in the 18th century as a residence for a wealthy Berat landowning family. The house is typical of large Ottoman-era urban residences: a stone ground floor for storage and utility, a wooden upper floor with living and reception rooms, an open porch (çardak), and an inner courtyard with a well. The architecture reflects a synthesis of Ottoman building traditions with local Albanian practice.

In 1979 the building was transferred to the National Museum Center and converted into the Ethnographic Museum. The collection was assembled from objects gathered across the Berat district. Today the museum is part of the Berat Museum Center (Qendra Muzeore Berat), together with the Onufri Iconographic Museum, and holds national museum status under the Ministry of Culture. The building has undergone restoration preserving original architectural elements.

From central Berat:

From Boulevard Republika – a 5–7 minute uphill walk through Mangalem quarter streets. The museum is on the road to the castle, at Rr. Toli Bojaxhiu.

From Tirana (120 km, ~2 hours):

– Bus or shared minibus (furgon) to Berat, then city bus #1 or taxi to Mangalem

By car: parking possible near the museum entrance, but approach streets are narrow.

City bus: route #1 from the bus station to the center, then walk.

Season: the museum is open year-round. Best time is May–October when you can combine it with outdoor walks through the quarters.

Opening hours:

– Winter (Nov 1 – Apr 30): Tue–Sat 9:00–16:00, Sun 10:00–15:00

– Summer (May 1 – Sep 30): Tue–Sun 9:00–18:00

– Monday – closed

Duration: 30–45 minutes. Easily combined with the climb to the castle and the Onufri Museum.

Avoid: Mondays (closed). In winter, Sundays close early at 15:00.