A 2400 year old living museum city

Who wants to live in a castle?

Berat, Albania, a landscape freckled with white Ottoman Houses, famously known for having people currently live inside, yes inside the castle compound on top of the hill.

Now, I was just in Gjirokastër, the stone city of a thousand steps….and here we are in the stone city of a thousand windows. From the pictures you can see why.

Berat has a legend to be told….the city sits at the base of the Tomorr mountain. The legend says that the Tomorr mountain was once a giant that fought against a second giant called Shipirag, who is now the mountain on the city’s left side. The two giants quarreled over a girl and killed each other. Overcome with grief, the girl drowned in her tears, which became the Osum River which splits the city in two.

At the very top is Berat Castle, a 2,400-year-old Illyrian stronghold. Throughout history the castle has been renovated and updated by the empires that have controlled the area.

Unlike many other castles that I have visited, Berat Castle is a living castle, people still live inside its walls. Inside is a unique community of stone houses, restaurants and souvenir shops. As well as a tiny church that was disguised as a house in the 16th and 17th centuries because churches were forbidden in Ottoman towns at the time!

_{Please note that I have not received these products for free or at a discounted price in exchange for my opinion.  There may be links that are affiliate links but at the time of posting this review, I have not received any monetary kickbacks.}