Berat is one of the most beautiful towns in Albania and, with Gjirokastër, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its remarkably well-preserved Ottoman architecture. The nickname "town of a thousand windows" refers to the distinctive Ottoman-era houses of the Mangalem quarter, stacked up the hillside in tight rows, each with rows of large windows looking out over the Osum river valley.
The town divides into three parts: Mangalem (the Muslim lower quarter), Gorica (the Christian quarter across the river, connected by the old Gorica Bridge), and Kala (the hilltop citadel). Berat Castle walls enclose an inhabited village — people have lived here continuously since antiquity — with Byzantine churches, old houses, and a small museum. The Onufri Iconographic Museum, in the Church of the Dormition of St Mary within the castle, houses an outstanding collection of 16th-century Albanian iconography. Onufri was one of the great Byzantine painters of his era, known for a distinctive vivid red pigment that has never faded.
The walk up through the old cobbled streets past the Lead Mosque and Holy Trinity Church to the castle is the main experience. Allow a full day.
Berat is a useful base for the surrounding region. The Monastery of Ardenica is around 30 km away, and the Greek-era ruins of Apolonia can be visited as a day trip.