Last Updated on March 20, 2023 by PowersToTravel
It’s hard to believe that at this point we were only halfway through our first day out and about in Albania. Today would be our first visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Albania. I occasionally visit the UNESCO World Heritage website looking for new and exciting places to visit.
Berat is an ancient city whose roots date back to 2600-1800 BC. The current citadel and city are primarily Ottoman, having been restored by the Ali Pasha in the late 1700s. This would be my first introduction to the great Ali Pasha. Our guide spoke to us as if we would be well familiar with him, the way an American say would say “Thomas Jefferson lived here”. Unfortunately we were completely ignorant. That did not stop our guide, as he filled our minds with history and stories of the great ruler. The UNESCO website has a brief and informative history.
The castle is perched on the top of a mountain directly overlooking the historic town. We began our tour with lunch at a local café right on the historic main street in the center of the castle. People actually live in the castle, as they have for centuries. Along the walls by the café the local woman hung their handicrafts for sale. The stone blocks of the fortress are a beautiful white, and the sun shone brightly.
We walked around the perimeter of the castle, just inside its great walls. On the hillside overlooking the valley a Byzantine Church was still clinging to the rocks. Inside on the parade ground more locals displayed their linen embroidery work. We peeked into the ancient cisterns. We walked out the path to an overlook which looked over the city to the south, on the banks of the river. It was a tremendous viewpoint.
Finally we left the castle, with less money in our pockets and a linen tablecloth in our suitcase.
Our guide took us into the main part of the ancient city we had seen from above. The houses are several stories high and are very similar in material and color, having been restored at the same time by the Ali Pasha. Both the houses and cobblestone streets are white limestone, which is where Berat gets its nickname “The White City”. (However, with the knowledge of that underwear factory on the other side of town, my mind wandered…)
Our “Hotel Mangalemi” was located in the Mangalem historic district situated below the castle. It was very close to the pedestrian bridge which leads across the river to the Gorica historic district. The pedestrian bridge is an awesome photographic location. Our room on the top floor had a balcony with a view to the mountains, and of a mosque. The room was large and quite comfortable. The hotel was paneled in dark wood and very atmospheric. Throughout the hotel antiques were displayed, and they did not seem out of place. Our room contained an old rotary dial phone. The hotel’s restaurant was on a large covered terrace on the second floor. The food was excellent.
So many places in Albania are my favorite place. Berat was one of them.
Diabetic Travel Tips
As mentioned above, there is a local café right in the castle. The walk around the castle can take quite a while and it can get quite hot. We were out there longer than I had imagined. With the variety of civilizations and architecture to see we lost track of time. If you wear a pump, be sure to keep it out of the sun.
Related Links
UNESCO World Heritage Site for Berat
Another tourist who feels as I do about Berat, with some awesome pictures
Check out this article of mine too:
Albania Travel Blog – Itinerary, Impressions and Diabetic Travel Tips
Fabulous pics!