Four Must-Do Things in Berat, Albania
Berat is called “City of a Thousand Windows,” and for good reason, it’s iconic buildings rise up on either side of the Osum River, creating dreamy, Instagram-worthy photos. Berat is located a hair-raising two hour drive south of Albania’s capital, Tirana. Most people come to Berat for the views of the houses (we did), but if I make my way back someday, there are more four things I would definitely do again.
I’ve been to my fair share of vineyards, and there are several things that stand out about Çobo Winery.
First things first, the wine is good! Most people have not heard about Albanian wine-making because 1) there are only two commercial producers of wine in the country, one being Çobo, 2) during the Communist Era nearly all vineyards were shut down and most grapes were eradicated (there was to be only ONE red grape and ONE white grape), so it has been a struggle to revive this industry and regrow native grapes.
The Çobo family has a long history of wine-making that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, but the current winery has only existed since the 1994. To find the vineyard, it is about 15 minute drive from Berat, down a long driveway that almost looks like someone’s house (and it is! The immediate and extended families have houses along the driveway). A tour bus of people were finishing up when we arrived, so we loitered around until an adolescent girl noticed us and asked if we would like a tour. Turns out, this was 13-year-old Adriana, great-granddaughter of the original wine producer. She was the one to give us our tour that day.
She was professional and informative as she took us through the production facilities (pointing out people like her brother and cousins who were working), the cellar, and we ended in their garden for a wine tasting. The cost is 1750 Leke or $16 USD and includes 7 wines and their walnut raki. Adriana walked us through the entire tasting, explaining the significance each varietal has to her family, and Albania as whole.
We sat in the garden for more than an hour tasting wines, at one point her mother stopped by to ask her a question, and we could hear cousins playing in the next yard over- it truly felt like you were part of their family.
If you are a fan of wine (like we are), Çobo is worthy of it’s *own* visit- it just happens to be located next to Berat.
(Also, we bought two bottles of wine and would’ve bought more but were limited by luggage space)
This hotel! I have nothing but good things to say about this hotel.
It is located right in the middle of the Old Town on a cobblestone street. We were initially nervous about parking, as we had read the streets were narrow and hard to navigate, but upon our arrival an attendant ran outside to help us with our luggage, then hopped in the car with my husband to direct him to a private parking lot. So easy!
Upon entering the hotel there is a bar and a well-appointed lobby. We were quickly assisted by the front desk and given a big wooden key to access our room just down the hallway. The hotel itself is full of charm- the rooms are tucked into different corners with lots of twists and turns. (It could potentially could be confusing, but the hotel is not big).
Our room, the “Standard Double”, cost 40 euro which included breakfast and parking. The room itself had a double bed covered in a white crocheted comforter, which was contrasted by the dark mahogany furniture. Two french doors opened up onto a small balcony that overlooked the courtyard. It was the perfect home base for our stay in Berat.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is their restaurant, which leads me to…
Now, some may say it is overkill to list a hotel AND the hotel’s restaurant in my top four things to do in Berat.. but honestly, these things really sealed the deal for me. Lots of cities have cute cobblestone streets, but how often can you get a fantastic meal, good bottle of wine, great views, and ever better service for just $35 USD for two people?!?! That is what we received at Restaurant Mangalemi.
The dish above ^^^ in the clay pot is their Imam Bajelldi- which is a baked eggplant, tomato, and sausage “casserole”. It is hands down one of the best things I have had to eat at any restaurant, on any trip. I loved the dish so much that one of the first things I did after returning home was try to recreate it- the recipe listed here is the closest thing I’ve found.
The entire experience was rounded out by an attentive server and gorgeous views. I don’t think I can wax poetic anymore about this restaurant, so just go.
4) Berat Castle
After spending the first day in Berat eating and drinking heavily, I recommend getting up early for the hike up to Berat Castle
If you visit Berat in the summer months, you will want to go to the castle either first thing in the morning or towards sunset because it can be very hot during the day and is a 30-40 minute walk straight up hill from Hotel Mangalemi. I highly suggest a sturdier shoe than the flip flops I wore…
Berat Castle is perched atop a hill overlooking the entire valley. Built in the 4th century, it is encircled by stone walls and contains 24 watch towers. But what makes this castle particularly interesting is that the castle’s interior is still inhabited by townspeople! It is full of houses, bars, restaurants, churches and museums. When you enter the castle’s walls, there will be women selling their various crafts, some of which are beautiful handmade lace doilies and woven blankets. If you are looking for a souvenir from Berat, these are the most beautiful and unique items for sale.
After doing some wandering down the maze of cobblestone alleys, the Museum of Medieval Art should be your next stop- it is home to the Iconographic museum which is full of reglious frescoes by famous Albanian painter, Onufri.
When you are done exploring the castle, I recommend making your way back to the castle’s main entrance to exit. Garan and I made the mistake of trying to find a path down the backside of the castle and there IS a sort of dirt path through the woods… but unless you are wearing hiking gear, it is pretty treacherous and may or may not take you through some backyards and driveways that appear to be private property. It will also drop you on the opposite side of the hill from where you started and you’ll spend another 45 minutes walking along the river to get home.
Overall, visiting the castle is a good adventure and way to incorporate some exercise into your visit. I’d budget probably 3-4 hours from when you leave your hotel to when you return. Do not underestimate the walk (hike!) to the castle (like I did) and wear proper shoes, you’ll likely break a sweat.
Have you been to Berat? Albania? Any items you would add to the must-do list? Comment below!
Very nice! Would like to see more pictures.
John
Yeah, I didn’t end up taking as many pictures as I would like. Need to work on that aspect during our travels- trying to document everything!