From Tirana: Berat City & Castle Guided Tour – Berat, Albania

EXPERIENCE

This magnificent 2400-year-old city is the pride of Albanian Architecture and is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Berat has been influenced by both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Its influences from the Eastern & Western empires can be seen through their costumes, traditions and outlooks. Berat is a treasure-trove for Albanian history & culture, and it is a testament of the country’s tradition of religious harmony and tolerance.
The city’s life began in the 5th-6th century B.C. as an Illyrian settlement. Later, in the 3rd century B.C., it was turned into a castle city known as Antipatrea. Even today, residents still live inside of the castle walls. The three main neighborhoods of the old city are Mangalemi, Gorica, and Kala, the latter being where the castle itself is located. In Mangalemi, below the castle, you can see the famous view of the facades of the houses, with windows that seem to stand above each other. With its houses built along the steep hill, the view of Mangalemi is the reason that another name for Berat is the City of the Floating Windows.
Across the Osum River lies the Gorica neighborhood, whose houses face those of Mangalemi. The arched bridge of Gorica, built in 1780, is a beautiful architectural monument constructed to link Gorica with Mangalemi.
Its rugged mountain setting is particularly evocative when the clouds swirl around the tops of the minarets or break up to show the icy peak of Mt Tomorri. The old stone houses that have been loyally accompanying each other for centuries,stand up proudly and do not show their age on their snow-white facades.

Depart from Tirana for Berat at 9:00 am and you will be transferred to this beautiful city for around 2 hours. First we will start the tour with the castle area,and we will be piercing through old stone houses on a nice walk on the cobbled paths until we reach “Onufri” iconographic museum. The Cathedral of Shën Mëria houses a museum of works by the famous iconographers of the 16th century: Onufri, and his son, Nikolla. There are over 100 icons on display. We will continue walking on the narrow cobbled paths and make a quick stop for a coffee in one of the old houses while interacting with locals. We will continue our walk with beautiful sightseeing of the old churches and mosques that will be accompanying us. We will reach the view point,where you can clearly see the two other neighborhoods from above- Mangalem and Gorica. You will also see the beautiful Osumi river piercing through the city and view the High-Mighty mountains.
After touring the fortress, we will continue onto the old Mangalem neighborhood where we will reach the old plaza of the city. We will continue our walk alongside the river towards the Gorica bridge where we will have an amazing view of the Gorica neighborhood. This will be the end of the city tour, and of course there will be an optional lunch in a traditional Albanian restaurant with traditional cuisine.

HIGHLIGHTS

Step back in time on a history tour
Enjoy fantastic aerial views
Immerse yourself in Albanian culture
Experience Berat Castle
Explore the historic Gorica district.

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