Berat by rental car: the castle, Mangalem and the Osum canyon

Berat, the "town of a thousand windows", is a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Gjirokastër. White Ottoman houses step down from the castle to the Osum river. Visiting Berat by car is easy, with one simple rule: leave the car below and see the old town on foot.

Parking and the climb to the castle

The road to the castle is steep with polished cobbles, and inside the walls the lanes are very narrow. Park in the new town or by the river and walk up, about 20–25 minutes. If you drive up, park only in the permitted places at the castle entrance.

What to see

Mangalem quarter

Historic centre

The many-windowed houses that gave the town its nickname, on the slope below the castle.

📍 Open in map

Day trips and the road onward

• Gjirokastër: the classic next stop to the south, about 2 hours 40 minutes. See the Gjirokastër guide.
• Apollonia and Vlorë: about 1 hour 30 minutes to the coast. See Vlorë.
• Tirana: about two hours north.

A town still living inside its castle

Unlike many other castles, Berat's is not an empty museum: families still live inside the walls, in old houses among Byzantine churches and the ruins of mosques. Respect the residents' privacy and do not enter courtyards without permission. Mangalem and Gorica, divided by the river, preserve the Ottoman architecture that earned the town its UNESCO listing.

Practical tips for Berat

• Visit the castle in the morning or late afternoon: at midday in summer it is very hot.
• The best view of Mangalem is from the Gorica bridge in the evening, when the lights come on.
• For the Osum canyon, ask about road conditions: some mountain sections are narrow.

Where to stay with a car

Some traditional guesthouses are inside the castle or in Mangalem and Gorica, where the car cannot reach the door. Ask where to park and take only a small bag for the night.