Two nights at the top of geranium-lined steps in an Ottoman quarter. Breakfast was made by our host's mother.
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We spent two nights in a house at the very top of the stone steps in Berat’s Mangalem quarter. The moment we opened the window in the morning, we understood the nickname “city of a thousand windows”: every white house on the opposite hillside was looking straight back at us.
Waking up in a stone house
Our house was a 150-year-old Ottoman mansion: wooden ceilings, built-in cupboards and hand-woven kilims on the floor. Breakfast came from our host’s mother: byrek, yoghurt, honey and figs from the garden.
Up to the castle
The castle sits right above the quarter, and people still live inside its walls. Head up towards sunset; looking down as the town’s lights came on one by one was the best moment of our trip.
Good to know
- If you’re driving, the houses are on a steep hill, so be ready to carry your bags.
- It’s about two hours from Tirana.
- A two-day route pairing it with Gjirokastër works really well.
