After a night in Gjirokastër, the prettiest Ottoman town in Albania, we continued our backpacking through the Balkans journey by taking a bus and arriving in Berat, another old town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Berat is a city, founded in the 6th-5th century B.C. as an Illyrian settlement on the Osum River, surrounded by mountains and hills, known for its white Ottoman houses with large square windows that almost resemble eyes, earning it the nickname “City of a Thousand Windows”.
On a hilltop, Berat Castle comprises an old fortified city still inhabited by townspeople. Within its walls are 18th-century houses, Byzantine churches, Mosques and a National Museum, with Christian icons.
Since 2008, Berat is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Photos below are from our visit to this old town of Thousand Windows.
Two out of three neighborhoods of Berat; the Kala (Castle) and Mangalemi, below the castle, the facades of the houses, with windows that seem to stand above each other. Across the Osum River lies the Gorica, the third neighborhood of old city of Berat, whose houses face those of Mangalemi.The arched bridge of Gorica, built in 1780, a beautiful architectural monument links Gorica with Mangalemi.Mangalemi neighborhood, popular as the city of thousand Windows.The Osum River and the Gorica neighborhood.Entrance the to Castle, the Kala neighborhood.The old fortified town is still inhabited by townspeople.The old fortified town is still inhabited by townspeople.The Holy Trinity Church within the Berat Castle.The Holy Trinity Church within the Berat Castle overlooking the Gorica neighborhood and the Osum River.The Berat castle after dark.The Berat castle after dark.The Berat castle after dark.Beautiful building of the Albanian University in Berat. We visited Berat in Sept 2018. According to Wikipedia; As of 2019, the University is closed and is being turned into a hotel.Raul is taking picture of beautifully arched Gorica bridge reflecting in the Osum River.
After a night in Berat, City with a thousand Windows, we continued our backpacking through the Balkans journey by taking a bus to Tirana, the capital city of Albania.
In May 2017, 23 days before I was going to complete 50 years, grabbed an opportunity and took an early retirement.. Picked up a backpack and traveling ever since.. Love to travel around the world, experience different culture, local cuisine & drinks .. and take pictures.. so far been to 108 countries and still counting...
Window on the World 