Old Town of Berat

Mangalem is the Muslim quarter on the Osum's western bank and Berat's most iconic area. White Ottoman houses from the 18th–19th centuries are terraced up the hillside, their tall symmetrical windows creating the famed "city of a thousand windows" effect. Walls are built using the çatma technique – horizontal timber beams every 80–120 cm provide earthquake resistance. Projecting bay windows (erkeri) extend 50–60 cm using Ottoman modular proportions, with south-facing windows deliberately larger for winter heating. The riverside promenade Boulevard Republika is lined with restaurants and cafés. Here you'll find the King's Mosque, the 16th-century Lead Mosque, and the 1827 Bachelors' Mosque.

Gorica is the Christian quarter on the eastern bank, connected to Mangalem by the seven-arched stone Gorica Bridge built in 1780. Less restored than Mangalem, its streets are quieter and many 18th-century houses hold cultural monument status. From the top of Gorica Hill, there's a panoramic view of Mangalem and the castle silhouette against the Tomorr mountains. The quarter contains the 19th-century churches of St. Spiridon and St. Thomas.

Kala is the castle quarter at the hilltop, where people have lived within the fortress walls for centuries. The walk up from Mangalem takes 15–20 minutes along cobbled Rruga Mihal Komnena. Inside the walls are residential houses, several Byzantine churches (13th-century Holy Trinity, St. Mary of Blachernae, St. Nicholas), ruins of the 15th-century Red Mosque, cafés, and souvenir shops. The Cathedral of the Assumption houses the Onufri Museum with its collection of 16th-century icons.

Age – settlement founded in the 6th century BC as Illyrian Antipatrea, continuously inhabited for over 2,400 years

UNESCO – historic center inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008 as an extension of the Gjirokastër nomination

Architecture – white Ottoman houses built with çatma technique (timber beams every 80–120 cm) have survived earthquakes for centuries

Three quarters – Mangalem (Muslim), Gorica (Christian), and Kala (castle) form a unified ensemble on both sides of the Osum River

Religious coexistence – mosques, Orthodox churches, Sufi tekkes, and a synagogue have stood side by side for centuries

Museum-city status – declared a museum-city under the communist regime, which restricted modern construction and preserved the historic fabric

Berat was founded as the Illyrian fortress of Antipatrea in the 6th century BC. Throughout antiquity the city passed from Macedonians to Romans, and in the 4th–5th centuries became part of the Byzantine Empire – this is when the first fortifications and churches were built on Kala hill. In the 13th century the castle was expanded and rebuilt; most surviving fortifications date from this period. In 1417 Berat came under Ottoman control. It was under the Ottomans that the city expanded beyond the castle walls: the Mangalem quarter grew on the western slope, Gorica on the eastern. Mosques, caravanserais, and bathhouses were constructed, and the architectural character of the "city of a thousand windows" took shape.

In 1830–1831 the castle was damaged during the suppression of an Albanian revolt, but the civilian quarters survived. Under Enver Hoxha's communist regime, Berat received museum-city status in 1961, which banned new construction in the historic center. Many mosques were closed (Albania declared itself an atheist state in 1967), but most buildings were physically preserved. After the regime fell in 1991, religious sites were gradually restored. In 2008 UNESCO inscribed Berat's historic center on the World Heritage List, recognizing it as a rare example of well-preserved Ottoman urban planning in the Balkans.

From Tirana (120 km, ~2 hours):

– Bus from South Bus Terminal (Terminali i Autobuzave te Jugut): 400–500 ALL (~$4–5), departures every 30–60 min, morning to early afternoon

– Shared minibus (furgon): 500 ALL, departs when full

– By car: via SH3 highway, road in good condition

From Saranda (~5–6 hours):

– 2 buses daily (8:00 AM and 2:30 PM), 1,200 ALL (~$12)

From Fier (40 km, ~40 min):

– Transfer point for southern routes: furgons 200–250 ALL

Getting around:

Berat bus station is 3 km from the Old Town. City bus #1 to center – 30 ALL. Taxi to Mangalem – 500 ALL (~$5). Everything within the Old Town is walkable. For driving to the castle, use the northern approach (turn left at the roundabout past the bus station) – the southern road is narrow and steep.

Best season: May–June and September–October – comfortable temperatures (20–28°C / 68–82°F), fewer tourists. July–August is hot (35°C+ / 95°F+) but the city remains uncrowded. Winter (November–March) brings reduced museum hours.

Time of day: early morning for the castle (fewer visitors, soft light). Evening for the riverside promenade and the Albanian tradition of "xhiro" (evening stroll). Sunset from Gorica Hill offers a panorama of illuminated Mangalem and the castle.

Duration: 1 day for a compact tour of all three quarters. 2 days to include museums, leisurely walks, and a day trip to Osum Canyon.

Avoid: Mondays – museums are closed. Midday hours in summer – steep climbs in the heat are exhausting.