Berat Impression

„BeratWe haven't been there yet and it is very nice! ” And we went. Berat is located in the interior of Albania, south of Durres. It is a modern center of the whole bashkia¹ located on the Osum river.

Berat - christian part Gorica

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The city has a beautiful view of the Tomorri mountains.Every year a festival organized by the Bektashi order²is held on itsý top, which it considered sacred. This city is also called "qyteti i një mbi një dritarëve„³ for its completely preserved Muslim part of Mangalem with typical architecture. In the city you will also find a citadel,a Christian quarter, a university and many others.

Berat - city of thousands windows

Early in the morning we were waiting at the hotel where the bus with tourists was supposed to pick us up. This time we had a Slovak passengers in the bus. Trips with tourists have their charm. Some prefer to be stuck on their camera to observe the landscape around them, while others spend time discussing with other tourists. We have also come across this very talkative man. During the two-hour journey we learned all his biography with all the details and in addition almost the entire history of Tekov region.

In reality, from which we were ripped off by this narration, we found ourselves again as our little bus scrambled up the Rruga e kalasë⁴ to the car park.

Entrance to the citadel

Here we started our tour of the local citadel Kalaja e Beratit⁵. Citadel is a fortress with its own life, because it is still inhabited. You will find dwellings with original architecture, churches, mosques, hotels and restaurants. It looks unusual at noon, but there's no wonder. After a few meters to our goal, we also appreciated every meter of shadow. The main objective of our tour was the Muzeu kombëtar ikonografik Onufri⁶. It is a picturesque museum of the local artist Onufri,who is the most important figure of Albanian painting from the 16th to the 17th century. He was renowned for his icons and Onufri red colour, whose composition is still not clear to scientists.

Onufri museum

St. Trinity church

Our next steps went to Constantine the Great Square, around 2 collapsed mosques, alongside Kisha Shën Triadha⁷ and Kisha e Shën Todrit⁸ to the view point at the southern tip of the citadel. The second most photographed monument in Berat is the Orthodox Church of St. Trinity. This church stands quite isolated and offers a beautiful view of the surroundings. It is also proof of Albania's liberalism towards religions.

Berat – Gorica

Liberalism was also confirmed by Koço, who was outraged at the information that "someone" (understand all tourist guides) divides this city into Muslim and Christian part. “Oh, sa budallik !!! Në Mangalem ka edhe një kishë ... ”⁹ For a proud Albanian, it was not possible to divide one city into 2 parts on the basis of religious, although everyone demonstrates so. What do they know about when they are not Albanians, who are generally very tolerant. I totally agree with this, and I did not elaborate further it. 

Osum river and Gorica bridge

The two parts are Mangalem and Gorica.Mangalem - Muslim part, is part of UNESCO World Heritage UNESCO World Heritage List.It's like you've been part of history for a while. You are standing in front of thousands of small houses from ancient times with lots of windows. After all, it was yesterday when the Ottoman dominion over this territory ended. The only one who remembers this time is Osumriver which delivers notices to everyone

But when you turn Mangalem's back, you get a glimpse of Gorica. Gorica was inhabited mainly by Christians. These parts are not very different in architecture. Mangalem is currently in better condition. Gorica would need a little reconstruction.

Berat - Gorica bridge

These historical parts of the city are still inhabited. In addition to both, you'll find accommodations, bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. In Mangalem there is a mosque Xhamia e Beqareve and a church Kisha e Shën Mëhilit. In Gorica you will find 2 churches - Kisha e Shën Tomait and Kisha e Shën Spiridonit. Walking in both parts is very pleasant and for those who do not normally go to countries with Muslim populations, it will certainly be an unforgettable experience. We returned through the Gorice Bridge to Mangalem and finished the walk in a restaurant for tasting local specialties.

Berat – Mangalem

From this part begins a modern city, which has a very pleasant atmosphere.. Honestly, I expected Berat to be smaller and more inconspicuous. I was surprised by location. Osum wading through the basin disappears behind the Tomorri mountains. I wasn't impressed by the ENVER lettering burned with acid into the mountain, which was changed to NEVER after Enver Hoxha's death.

Sights are not crowded with tourists. We had enough time to visit everything. The services are also of a good standard. You can spend a few days in this place without regret. It is advisable to divide the city tour into several partsso that you will not miss anything. Certainly to the stay you must also add a visit to the surrounding mountains.Berat will allow you to look into the past of Albania, reveal a piece of local culture and give a nice experience and perhaps some small things. Don't be persuaded. This is not rejected.