Berat and Gjirokastër
培拉特与吉诺卡斯特 · Berat, Albania
Two Ottoman-period towns in southern Albania listed together as a World Heritage Site: Berat is known as the "town of a thousand windows" and Gjirokastër as the "city of stone".
Know before you go
- Wandering about and taking photos during prayers or Mass
- entering private courtyards without permission
- walking the steep stone slopes in slippery shoes
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
A town of windows upon windows
Most of Berat's old houses have large windows looking out over the town, rising tier upon tier up the hillside; locals call it the "town of one window above the other", and visitors know it as the "town of a thousand windows". The climb to the castle is long and steep, so Berat is also called the "city of two thousand steps".
Source: Wikipedia: Berat; Wikipedia: Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër
History
The Gorica Bridge
The Gorica Bridge, linking the Mangalem quarter with the Gorica quarter across the river, was first built of wood in 1780 and rebuilt in stone in the 1920s. The stone bridge has seven arches and is about 129 metres long, a fine spot for looking back at the town of windows.
Source: Wikipedia: Berat
History
The bazaar of the city of stone
Gjirokastër's Ottoman bazaar was first built in the 17th century and rebuilt after a fire in the 19th century, its stone-roofed shops lining the sloping lanes. Above it rises a mosque built in 1757, one of the most striking landmarks of the old town.
Source: Wikipedia: Gjirokastër
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Berat lies on the Osum river in southern Albania, while Gjirokastër is built on the steep slopes of the Drino valley; the two towns are quite far apart, and each has a castle overlooking its valley. They are rare examples of Ottoman-period architecture: Gjirokastër was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2005, and Berat was added as an extension in 2008, together forming the "Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër". Berat's old town has three parts: the castle quarter of Kala on the hill, the Mangalem quarter at its foot, and the Gorica quarter across the Osum. The large windows of many old houses rise one above another, overlooking the town, which earned Berat the name "town of a thousand windows". Inside the castle, narrow lanes, houses and Orthodox churches survive; historically it held about twenty churches and one mosque for the garrison, and communities of different faiths lived together peacefully here for centuries. Gjirokastër is called the "city of stone": its traditional houses are stone buildings up to five storeys high, with features of the fortified houses of southern Albania, roofed with flat dressed stone slabs, and more than five hundred of them are protected as cultural monuments.
Local customs
- In Berat, climb to the castle for views of the Osum valley and the tiers of windows, then cross the Gorica Bridge to see the old town from the far bank
- in Gjirokastër, wander the old bazaar and visit the castle and the Ethnographic Museum
- spend a night in each town and compare the "thousand windows" with the "city of stone".
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Wandering about and taking photos during prayers or Mass
- entering private courtyards without permission
- walking the steep stone slopes in slippery shoes
Locals appreciate DO
- Keep your steps light in residential lanes
- dress modestly when visiting mosques and churches
- wear non-slip flat shoes on the stone lanes
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The old towns of both places are free to wander
- some museums and the castles charge admission, with exact prices as published officially. The stone lanes are steep and slippery, and summer afternoons are hot, so please bring water.
- Long-distance buses run from Tirana to Berat, and buses and taxis link the two towns
- the mountain road takes several hours, with schedules as published locally, and if you drive, take care on the mountain bends. It is best to plan the towns separately, with a day for each. Spring and autumn are best for strolling the old towns
- summer brings good light in the valleys but hot middays
- in winter there are fewer visitors and quiet streets, though some venues shorten their opening hours, as officially announced.
Photos
Photos
Ivan Koev · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pudelek · CC BY-SA 4.0