Google for the best city in Albania and Berat will popup first. The localities are very proud of their world heritage city. You can cover most of the places on foot. Hence there is only one bus route #1 (blue colored) for the entire city.
Falsely termed as the city of 1000 windows, but it is actually the city of windows one over the other.
Many tourists visit Berat as a day trip from Tirana. There are three ways to reach Berat – by bus, taxi or car. Read my blog on How to reach Berat by bus for a budget day trip.
Blog Contents
Free walking tour
To make your trip easy, contact Bruno from the free walking tour. He offers free walking tours that take around 3 hours. It starts from the other side of the Gorica bridge and all the way up to the Berat castle.
We didn’t know anything about Berat and trusted Bruno. It turned out to be one of the best walking tours.
UNESCO world heritage
The river Osum divides the city into two parts. The walking tour starts from the other side of the Berat castle. You walk through the well-preserved heritage homes of the 18th and 19th centuries from the Ottoman era. Since the city comes under UNESCO, the whole area isn’t allowed to modify or destroy.
If you have enough time, you could request the tour guide to visit any of the homes. The locals over there are facing a huge financial crisis. So many are converting their homes and hosting guests in Airbnb.
Apart from the Gorica bridge, there is another parallel bridge that connects both parts of the city. Here is where you can get the postcard picture of Berat, the picturesque view of the windows.
Castle tour
The hike to the castle begins as soon as you cross the Gorica bridge. The total duration is about 40 minutes but you must expect a steep one. For the first 20 minutes, you walk through the cobble-stoned path with refreshments, souvenir shops on either side.
This road leads directly to the castle entrance. Cars and taxis are also allowed. The entrance fee is 300 Lek (2.5 €). But you don’t need to take this route if you are prepared to hike.
Update: For the year 2022, the entrance to the castle is always free. Make sure to check for the latest changes when you visit Berat.
Free castle entrance
There is a hiking route to the castle top that the local people use. The shortcut to the Berat castle is here. On your way up to the castle, you must take a left. It’s a steep 20-minute hike to the top and you will end you near the entrance. There is a small souvenir shop, a cafe and a toilet on the top.
Pro-tip: If you take the free hiking route to the castle, then make sure to return the same way. Else you must show the ticket near the main entrance.
Panoramic viewpoint
Before you start the castle tour, don’t forget to admire Berat from a 360° panoramic view. The views are absolutely stunning from the top and it is the top attraction in Berat.
If you imagined a castle with nice interiors you are wrong. In the castle tour, you will pass through the ruins of Red Mosque, St. Demetrius church, Holy Trinity church. The entire tour is walking under the hot sun with all the attractions in an open space. So I recommend you to be prepared on a sunny day.
There is also an old cistern (underground water storage facility) similar to the Cistern Basilica in Istanbul. But it has been abandoned for ages. Don’t peep in as bats fly across and no one knows the depth of the cistern.
The castle top has many souvenir shops and their prices are cheaper than the city center. Hence Bruno recommended we buy at the top. The tour ended near the Gorica bridge. If you were happy with the free walking tour, don’t forget to tip as an appreciation and spread the word of mouth. To reach back to the main bus station of Berat, there is a bus stop near this money exchange. The frequency is every 15-20 minutes.
Time of my visit: June 2021
Overall experience: 