Private Berat UNESCO Town and Belsh Lake day tour from Tirana

Belshi Lake

The Mangalemi quarter is one of the three districts of Berat, and lies north of the Osumi River and to the south of Kalaja (on the Castle hill). Mangalem, which historically is Islamic and was known as the Ottoman Quarter. Mangalem Quarter consists of narrow streets of old white stone houses with terracotta tiles, wooden doors and hanging flowers. The Mangalemi quarter, is also known as the “City of 1000 Windows”, dates back centuries to the architecture of the houses that were built during the Ottoman ruling period. Most of the houses have multiple large symmetrical windows, all lined up along the side of rocky hill.

Clamber up the sloping cobblestoned streets on the left bank of the river behind Hotel Muzaka to find your way to the top of Gorica Hill. On the way up, you get stunning views of Mangalem’s white houses front-on, with Berat Castle silhouetted against the distant mountains.

The National Ethnographic Museum of Berat,  typical 18th century two-story Berat residence, is a pleasant immersion into the lifestyle traditions of this fascinating town. The museum’s pavilions are nicely organized within the two stories of the former residence. The nice journey along the pavilions reveals an accurate panorama of the traditions and daily conditions of the lives of Berat’s prominent families

Built in 1797, this cathedral is situated at the highest altitude of the Berat Castle, though it can be a little difficult to find. While the Ottomans were Muslim, they allowed Christians to continue practicing their faith and build churches, though not very visibly. This cathedral is one of them, a typical church of three naves and two rows of tall stone columns. Inside, you initially find yourself facing the Holy Altar with masterful engravings and paintings of Bible scenes in the incredibly lavish and ornate iconostasis of the Cathedral – the only one to have survived from the former metropolitan complex. The iconostasis, created in 1807, the most eye-catching part of the interior of the church, is considered one of the greatest accomplishments of the 19th-century Albanian wood-carving masters. It stretches along the entire interior of the cathedral and includes twelve royal icons as well as twenty-seven small festive icons. The royal icons, objects of reverence and worship

Bachelors Mosque

Medieval Center