Berat was truly amazing. It’s no wonder it’s a UNESCO world heritage site! The buildings are so densely packed together on the two opposite hills, and each building has about 6 windows that all look the same, which makes it look like a sea full of buildings and windows. A few times we went to a great coffee shop to do some work in, drink some coffee, and take a break from the sweltering heat. One day we made the trek up to the fortress, which was on top of the hill our guest house was on. The hike was insanely hot, about 30 minutes in duration, but it was so worth it. The views at the top were stunning, never-ending rolling hills in the distance, a view of the city part of Berat, and the villagey part of Berat that we were staying in. Our hostess was so friendly, and she made us all a plate of eggs, sausages, olives, feta, tomatoes, cucumber, and toast the two mornings we were there. We walked along the river, ate traditional Albanian food, gelato, went on some runs, and enjoyed the scenic views. We loved our time there!
We stayed and spent most of our time on the Mangalem side, shown here, which is opposite the Gorica side. Although historically Mangalem was the Muslim neighborhood and Gorica the Christian, that distinction only seemed relevant in that there was slightly more Ottoman influence in Mangalem. Both views, looking at either side, were stunning
Upper left: the Gorica Bridge
Second from the top on the right: Ura e Varur Bridge (also New Bridge or Suspended Bridge)
Holy Trinity Church, up on the hill near the Berat Castle. This 13th-century church felt like stepping into a time machine
Berat Castle
It was a hard hot climb, but the views and sights at the top made it well worth it
Gorica in the background, standing on the Gorica Bridge
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