A Local's Guide to Berat: City of a Thousand Windows

Berat is often called the City of a Thousand Windows, and one look at the white Ottoman houses stacked up the hillside tells you why. But beyond the postcard view lies a living city of craftsmen, winemakers and quiet cobbled lanes. Here is how to experience it like a local.

Begin in the castle — Kalaja — which is not a museum but a living neighbourhood. Families still inhabit its stone houses, cats nap on Byzantine walls, and the view over the Osum river at sunset is unforgettable. Go early or late to have it nearly to yourself.

“Berat doesn't reveal itself in an hour. Stay the night, and the city is yours.”

Cross the Gorica Bridge to the Gorica quarter, where the pace slows further. This is the place for an evening xhiro — the traditional promenade — followed by dinner in a family-run taverna. Try the local fig raki if it is offered.

Wine lovers should not miss the surrounding hills: the Çobo and Nurellari wineries near Berat produce excellent wines from indigenous grapes like Pules and Shesh. A tasting with a vineyard view is one of the region's great pleasures.

Finally, give Berat time. Day-trippers see the windows; overnight guests hear the call to prayer echo across the valley, watch the town light up, and understand why UNESCO protects it.