Berat

The UNESCO-listed “City of a Thousand Windows” — Ottoman houses beneath a living castle, on the Osum River.

Known as the “City of a Thousand Windows,” Berat is one of Albania’s most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage sites. Tiers of white Ottoman-era houses climb the hillside beneath a castle that is still inhabited today, their rows of windows staring out over the Osum River.

Wander the cobbled lanes of the Mangalem and Gorica quarters, cross the old stone bridge, and step inside the castle walls where families have lived for centuries. Berat blends Ottoman, Byzantine and Albanian history into one remarkably preserved townscape.

Just beyond the city, the vineyards and calm waters of Belsh Lake offer a peaceful wine-country escape — the perfect complement to a day of history and architecture.

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