Berat, Albania is the City of a Thousand Windows. It is known for white (well preserved and ancient) Ottoman houses. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site making it one of the top destinations in Albania. This city is beautiful and filled with historical and cultural destinations. The best part is just walking around and getting lost. This travel guide of Berat will help make an incredible 3 day trip. It is filled with the best things to do in Berat, best place to stay and the best places to eat! So use this travel guide to build an incredible 3 day trip to Berat.
At Pragmatic Travelers, I only recommend what I have actually done and experienced. This page contains affiliate links of products/hotels that I trust. This means I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase/book a hotel through my links, at no cost to you. Again, I only recommend products and places that I have used/stayed and trust.
Looking for more travel inspiration and information on Albania? Check out our essential guide to the amazing city of Tirana and our definitive guide to the beautiful and beachy Himara.
Tips and Tricks to Berat
- Rent a car to get around Berat. We found this easier then using a bus. Plenty of free parking all over Berat.
- Try the traditional food. There are plenty of traditional Berati restaurants. See below for recommendations.
- Berat Castle is located up a steep hill. There are a few ways up.
- Walk up/down very steep hill.
- Hire a taxi to take you up and down.
- Drive up the steep hill or go up the much easier back road: Rruga Muzak Topia. Be careful if you just put in Berat Castle into Google Maps it may try and take you up an insane dirt road. (Speaking from experience.)
Best place to stay in Berat
Hotel Klea, Berat: This small guesthouse is located inside Berat Castle (amazing location). There is plenty of free parking right outside the hotel. It is incredibly cheap with breakfast included. We spent $80 for two nights and two dinners. The owners are incredibly kind and welcoming. The food (both breakfast and dinner) was fantastic. You do get what you pay for so the walls were very thin with occasionally loud youthful patrons. The beds were hit or miss. However, I do recommend it for the location, the food, the price and the kindness of the owners.
Worried about the noise? Check out other hotels in Berat, Albania. I don’t have a different recommendation since I only stayed in one place.
Where to Eat and Drink in Berat
- Hotel Klea, Berat: Even if you aren’t staying there, make a point to visit the restaurant. The food was incredibly good. Get the meatballs, they were my favorites. Great price for food and local wine. We ate here both nights.
- Eni Traditional Food, Berat: This is across the river (moving away from the Castle). Very good and affordable traditional food.
- Shtepia e Kafes Gimi, Berat: Excellent coffee and a great place to people watch on Bulevardi Republika.
- Kantina Luani, Berat: We randomly stopped here and had a great time. The owner gave us a tour of their very large facility. Then an incredibly generous wine and raki tasting. I mean these were big pours. It also included a huge meat/cheese board. Enough for lunch.
- Cobo Winery, Berat: Excellent tour and tasting. The white wine was, in particular, very good. Also included cheese and bread. Highly recommend.
Best Things to do in Berat
- Explore Berat Castle: The castle was a blast to explore. There are still families living there so it had a lot of life to it. So many ruins to explore and amazing views to gaze at. It is a must do.
- Church of the Holy Trinity: Located in Berat Castle and was built in the 13th/14th century. Gorgeous with amazing views all around it. I didn’t get a chance to go inside as it was closed.
- Get lost in the Mangalem Quarter: This is the neighborhood at the bottom of the castle. Take some time exploring the area. Then cross the river and explore Gorica Quarter.
- Visit Berat’s National Ethnographic Museum: It is a large Ottoman era house set up like when it was first built. You learn about daily life during that time by walking through the house’s various rooms. Very affordable to visit and a great historical destination.
- Solomoni Museum, Berat: We stumbled upon this place one day. (It is across the street from the Ethnographic Museum.) It is a small museum about how the people of Berat protected their fellow Jewish citizens during WW2. It also highlights the history of the Jewish community in Berat. The museum was largely created and funded through the efforts of one man; Simon Vrusho. He even used his pension to create it. Now, his wife gives tours with her limited English. It is incredible. Make an effort to go and give a donation.
- Visit a winery. Check out my recommendations in the what to drink section.
- Wander along Bulevardi Republika for coffee, food and people watching.
Your Thoughts…
This is our recommendations to build a great 3 day trip to Berat, Albania. What are you excited to do or see? Have you been before? What did you enjoy in Berat, Albania? Leave a comment below.
