The back story
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The back story
Berat & Gjirokastër: the back story
Two Ottoman stone towns, one UNESCO listing: windows, castles, icons and tower houses.
Area guide · Albania
Berat & Gjirokastër: Our Favourites
Berat, the town of a thousand windows, and Gjirokastër, the stone city: two Ottoman towns on one UNESCO listing. For Tirana itself, see our Tirana guide.
Show 10 places on a map
What to see and do
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3 photosStill lived in
Berat Castle (Kala)
Berat’s hilltop citadel, where families still live among Byzantine churches and stone lanes.
KalajaExplore View on map
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3 photosIcons in Onufri red
Onufri Museum
Icons by Berat’s 16th-century master painter, inside a church within the castle walls.
KalajaExplore View on map
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3 photosThe thousand windows
Mangalem quarter
White Ottoman houses stacked up the hillside below Berat’s castle, window above window.
MangalemExplore View on map
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3 photosAmong the Balkans’ largest
Gjirokastër Castle
A vast hilltop fortress over Gjirokastër and the Drino valley, with vaulted galleries.
KalajaExplore View on map
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3 photosA family tower house
Skenduli House
A painted Gjirokastër tower house, often shown by the family who own it.
Lagjja PalortoExplore View on map
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3 photosStone lanes and crafts
The old bazaar
Gjirokastër’s cobbled market quarter beneath the castle, full of craft shops and cafés.
Pazari i VjetërExplore View on map
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3 photosOn the Via Egnatia
Apollonia Archaeological Park
The ruins of an ancient city on a hill above the Myzeqe plain, with a monastery museum.
PojanExplore View on map
Nature, lakes and beaches
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3 photosRafting and tubing
Osumi Canyon
A deep limestone gorge near Çorovodë, rafted in spring and tubed or walked in summer.
Eat and drink
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3 photos300-year-old house
Tradita e Beratit
A family-run house of about 300 years in Gorica, with six rooms and a traditional set menu.
Gorica Quarter, Old Town, BeratExplore View on map
Where to stay
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3 photosOld-town views
Hotel Kodra
A 13-room boutique hotel in Gjirokastër’s old town, with a terrace restaurant below the castle.
Lagjia 11 Janari, Rruga Zejtareve, GjirokastërExplore View on map
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Riverside in Gorica
Muzaka Boutique Hotel
A restored stone house in Gorica, looking across the Osum to the windows of Mangalem.
GoricaExplore View on map
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4 photosIn the bazaar
Hotel Argjiro
A central hotel in Gjirokastër’s old bazaar, close to the castle and house museums.
Rruga Gjin ZenebishtiExplore View on map
Where to go next
Questions and answers
When should I visit the castles?
Climb both castles early in the day in summer, wear good shoes, and leave the late afternoon for the old lanes.
Share your Berat & Gjirokastër tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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