Top things to do in Berat

Hidden behind the crumbling walls of the fortress that crowns the hill above Berat is the whitewashed, village-like neighbourhood of Kala; if you walk around the quiet cobbled streets of this ancient neighbourhood f…

The Onufri Museum is situated in the Kala quarter’s biggest church, the Church of the Dormition of St Mary (Kisha Fjetja e Shën Mërisë). The church itself dates from 1797 and was built on the foundations of an earli…

In the pretty village-like cobbled streets of the kalaja (fortress), Onufri is the closest you’ll get to a homestyle Albanian feast without actually gatecrashing a family lunch. Expect to be brought a heaving plate …

This charming family home deep in the Mangalem Quarter below the castle is the setting for one of Berat’s best restaurants. Lili speaks English and will invite you to take a table in his backyard where you can order…

They might be fairly small, but these waterfalls, which from a distance appear to disappear in and out of the rocks, have a rare beauty and make for a great day trip from Berat. You can swim in the turquoise pools a…

Just off the steep hillside that leads up to Berat’s castle is this excellent museum, which is housed in a beautiful 18th-century Ottoman house that’s as much of an attraction as the exhibits within. The ground floo…

The restaurant of the excellent Hotel Mangalemi is the most upmarket place in town for traditional Albanian cooking, and summer nights on its breezy verandah are not to be missed. The large menu serves simple, home-…

Down in the traditionally Muslim Mangalem quarter, there are three grand mosques: the Sultan’s Mosque, the Lead Mosque and the Bachelors’ Mosque. All are worth a visit and each has its own idiosyncratic design and h…

The 16th-century Sultan’s Mosque is one of the oldest in Albania. The Helveti teqe (a place of worship for those practising the Bektashi branch of Islam) behind the mosque has a beautiful carved ceiling and was spec…

This decent Gorica restaurant serves high-class versions of classic Albanian farmer dishes and is always crowded with locals. The food is really tasty, but even tastier are the views from the terrace, out over the m…

Perched on a cliff ledge below the castle is the artfully positioned 14th-century chapel of St Michael, best viewed from the Gorica quarter across the river. To get here you have to follow a narrow zigzagging pathwa…

This wildly popular place serves typical Albanian fastfood such as kebabs, pizzas and burgers, but with the quality is a step above normal. The real highlight though is the waiter who juggles bottles, spins trays on…

On the main road that parallels the northern side of the river, this place has a pleasant and breezy roof terrace with sweeping views over Berat, but the food, which ranges from traditional Albanian to pizzas and pa…

The Orthodox church of St Theodore, close to the fortress gates, is normally closed, but if you are granted access, you’ll discover some wonderful wall murals.

The big mosque just off the town square is the 16th-century Lead Mosque, so named because of the lead coating its sphere-shaped dome.

The Red Mosque, by the southern Kala walls, was the first mosque in Berat and dates back to the 15th century.

The substantial and picturesque Church of the Holy Trinity sits below the upper fortress. Of all the churches within the fortress walls, it’s the best preserved but sadly it’s normally kept locked; try enquiring at …

The 19th-century Bachelors’ Mosque is down by the Osumi River. It was built for unmarried shop assistants and junior craftsmen, and is perched between some fine Ottoman-era shopfronts along the river. At the time of…

The small chapel of St Mary Blachernae, which dates from the 13th century and contains some 16th-century wall murals, is unfortunately normally kept locked.

The small Byzantine-era Chapel of St Nicholas is normally kept locked.