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Elbasan

A large, poor, intriguing industrial city that is full of life. The market is fascinating, and the breakfast "Bugace" legendary. The Via Ignatia, an old Roman road to Istanbul, runs through the city.

37km

41.112520.08222222

Tirana

(Tiranë) — the capital. Trees and mountains surround the city. Mt. Dajt is a popular tourist site for a great view of the city.

54km

41.323719.8203

Gjirokastër

another UNESCO city, located in the south is known for its unique Ottoman period architecture. There is a large castle on the hill in the middle of the city which served as a jail for many generations. A Military Museum and Art Gallery are now located inside. Gjirokastër is also the birthplace of former communist Leader, Enver Hoxha, as well as Albania's most internationally famous author, Ismail Kadare, their homes now serve as museums.

56km

40.083320.1333

Korca

Korçë (Korça) is the principal city in the district of Korçë in Southeastern Albania.

91km

40.616720.7667

Shëngjin

A growing beach town located in northwest Albania known for its Adriatic Sea views.

101km

41.8119.59

Resen

town in North Macedonia

122km

41.0888888921.01222222

Thethi

Thethi is a village surrounded by Thethi National Park, up on Albanian Alps, in Northeastern Albania, in Shkodra District.

142km

42.39583319.774444
Sights (51)

Bachelors' Mosque

395m

40.70468919.950051

King Mosque, Berat

526m

40.705619.9521

Lead Mosque, Berat

710m

40.704519.9554

Red Mosque, Berat

779m

40.707319.9457

Berat Castle

It was mostly built in the 13th century, but with origins going back to the 4th century BC. A very beautiful place with great views of the surrounding area. Getting to the Kala requires a steep walk up a cobbled path - take care, the stones are worn and slippery. The citadel is still inhabited, with many churches, and there are a couple of bars and shops in the Kala area.

874m

40.70819.945

Hysen Pasha Mosque

1.2km

40.7061111119.94027778

Çorovodë

main city of Skrapar District, Albania

34km

40.520.21666667

Labovë e Madhe

village in Albania

46km

40.2069444420.13611111

Kardhiq

Village in Albania.

49km

40.1216666720.0275

Kaninë Castle

Built in the old center of Vlore in the 3rd century BC. This castle has an area of 3625 ha. It was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in the 5th century BC. In Anna Komnenes' notes, she talked long about her father, Emperor Aleks', war against the Norman army.

52km

40.44319.52

Flag's Square

- Independence Monument - a massive socialist-realist monument celebrating the independence of Albania from the Ottoman empire in 1912

54km

40.470719.4913

Muradie Mosque

54km

40.46904919.490932

Canyon of Gjipe

56km

40.1436111119.67027778

Zekate House

It is the most visited of Gjirokastër's monumental stone houses. It is one of the largest of its kind, featuring three floors spread over two large towers. The house was recently restored again (having undergone earlier restorations during the Communist era) and is kept open by its owners as a museum house. In addition to providing an interesting primer of the characteristic architectural elements of the city's tower houses, it offers a beautiful view of the city below.

56km

40.0748420.13229

Gjirokastër Ethnographic Museum

Once Enver Hoxha's house, it is a well-restored Ottoman house which displays clothing, kitchenware, tools and other cultural artifacts. The guided tour (available in Albanian, English, and German though availability should be checked in advance).

56km

40.0755555620.13472222

Porto Palermo Castle

fortification

56km

40.06219.791

Gjirokastër Fortress

The historical and geographical center of the city, the Castle is billed as the second largest in all the Balkans, and is worth a look. The Armaments Museum is located in the castle (separate 200 leke entrance) and contains a collection of mostly post-War era weapons, photographs and artwork: the main gallery, with its eerily lit corridor, contains two columns of large German and Italian field guns, remnants of WWII. The Castle also contains two Bektashi tekes, the stage for the internationally-renowned Gjirokaster National Folk Festival, a prison (now part of the Armaments Museum and available with an extra charge) and numerous chambers, some in ruins, open to exploration. A second museum gallery, the Zenebishi Gallery, features occasional free art exhibits. Underneath the castle is the underground bunker built in the Cold War.

57km

40.07420.141

Orikum

municipality of Albania

62km

40.3333333319.46666667

Oricum

Ancient theatre of Orikum (1st century BC), Church of Marmiroi (Kisha e Marmiroit) - Here is also a small hotel

66km

40.3188888919.42861111

Aoös

river

70km

40.6427777819.31722222

Blue Eye, Albania

71km

39.92361120.192778

Lëkurësi Castle

71km

39.865920.02567

Vithkuq

municipality in Korçë District, Albania

72km

40.5166666720.58333333

Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park

The Shebenik-Jabllanicë National Park is a national park in eastern Albania adjacent to the border with North Macedonia. It encompasses 339.277 square kilometres (33,927.7 ha) and is specifically marked by a mountainous landscape supplied with glacial lakes, valleys, dense coniferous and deciduous forests and alpine meadows and pastures. Elevations in the park vary from 300 metres to over 2,200 metres above the Adriatic at the peak of Shebenik and Jabllanica, hence the name. It dwells a number of endangered species that are fast becoming rare in Southern Europe, including the brown bear, gray wolf and balkan lynx. The abundance in wildlife can in part be explained by the variety of vegetation types and remote location.

72km

41.1666666720.5

Fatih Mosque, Durrës

Built in 1503.

75km

41.3111111119.44583333

Great Mosque of Durrës

76km

41.313219.4455

Royal Villa of Durrës

This used to be the most luxurious crib in all of Albania, but it was looted in the 1997 uprising and isn't open to visitors now. Reportedly prince Leka has plans to renovate the villa "in the near future", but this has been reported for quite some time. Endure the steep climb up the hill for one of the most spectacular views over the city.

76km

41.314719.4387

Butrint

81km

39.7455555620.02055556

Tushemisht

Village in Korçë, Albania

87km

40.9002777820.71916667

Lake Ohrid

lake

90km

41.0372222220.71888889

Boboshticë

village in Korçë, Albania

91km

40.5541666720.76444444

Andon Zako Çajupi Theatre

92km

40.618720.7771

Castle of Rodon

Roman amphitheatre in Durrës, Albania

92km

41.585819.4482

National Museum of Medieval Art (Albania)

Fantastic collection; if the door is locked during opening hours, ring the buzzer.

92km

40.615820.7837

Birra Korça

Famous throughout Albania, sponsors a week-long Beer Festival in the summer.

93km

40.611220.7907

Fir of Drenovë National Park

95km

40.5833333320.8

Prespa National Park

One of Albania's national parks, Prespa, is mostly located within Pustec Municipality. The park covers 27,750 hectares (68,570 acres), consisting of Albania's share of the Prespa region. Established in 1999, it aims to conserve the wildlife of Prespa including rare species of bird like the white pelican, the white stork, and the Dalmatian pelican. Almost half of the area of the national park is forest.

107km

40.7520.91666667

St. Mary's Church, Maligrad

This Orthodox cave church was built in 1369 by Serbian nobleman Kesar Novak, though there is an older preserved inscription in the apse of the church dating from 1345. A fresco on the interior depicts Novak's family. The western facade was painted in 1607. The church is built within a cave overlooking the lake.

109km

40.79220.9317

Korab

mountain range

112km

41.7902777820.54666667

Korab (mountain)

112km

41.7911111120.54777778

St Mary's Church, Tuminec

Located east of Tuminec just inside the border with North Macedonia, this monastery got its present appearance in 1888, although a cave church of the same name just 100 meters (110 yards) north of the monastery complex dates from the 14th century. The cave church stands 10 m (33 ft) tall and contains many large frescoes. The monastery has not had monks since 1898.

114km

40.886920.9731

Kosmaç

village in Albania

116km

41.9938888919.55583333

Shurdhah Island

It is in the Vau i Dejës Reservoir, which is fed and drained by the river Drin. It is accessible by tourist boat in summer from the Vau i Dejës dam or Rragam. It contains the ruins of the medieval town of Sarda. You can visit the ruins of the 11th-century medieval castle, which includes two rings of defensive walls and towers (some submerged in the lake), the remains of a Byzantine church and other early medieval walls. The setting on the steep rocks rising from the lake is especially impressive.

118km

42.0719.65305556

Lake Prespa

121km

40.921.03333333

Lead Mosque, Shkodër

123km

42.046519.4995

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Shkodër

123km

42.0652777819.52

Ebu Beker Mosque

123km

42.067519.51388889

Shkodër Orthodox Cathedral

124km

42.0686111119.51472222

Shkodër

city in northwestern Albania

124km

42.0666666719.5

Drisht Castle

A ruined castle, the earliest traces of Frost Castle's fortifications date to the late Neolithic era. The walls and towers date to 1396-1478 during the Venetian era.

124km

42.123519.6112

Lake Skadar

lake

141km

42.1666666719.31666667
Nature

we will see

Berat

Albania
Someday we will visit Berat or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Berat

Berat is a city in Albania. In 2008 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is a rare example of a well-preserved Ottoman town. It is one of the country's most beautiful towns, and is known as the "town of a thousand windows".

The coexistence of religious and cultural communities over several centuries, beginning in the 4th century BC into the 18th century is apparent in Berat. The town also bears testimony to the architectural excellence of traditional Balkan housing construction, which date to the late 18th and the 19th centuries. Some of the landmarks of that historical period could be seen in the Berat Castle, churches of the Byzantine era such as the Church of St. Mary of Blaherna (13th century), the Bachelors' Mosque, the National Ethnographic Museum, the Sultan's Mosque (built between 1481 and 1512), Leaden Mosque (built in 1555) and the Gorica Bridge.

Berat lies on the right bank of the river Osum, a short distance from the point where it is joined by the Molisht river. The old city centre consists of three parts: Kalaja (on the castle hill), Mangalem (at the foot of the castle hill) and Gorica (on the left bank of the Osum). It has a wealth of beautiful buildings of high architectural and historical interest. The pine forests above the city, on the slopes of the towering Tomorr mountains, provide a backdrop of appropriate grandeur. The Osumi river has cut a 915-metre deep gorge through the limestone rock on the west side of the valley to form a precipitous natural fortress, around which the town was built on several river terraces.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

14.4°C2
Precipitation: 145 mm

Feb

15.3°C2.1
Precipitation: 152 mm

Mar

17.1°C4.2
Precipitation: 108 mm

Apr

20.2°C7.4
Precipitation: 97 mm

May

25.3°C12.5
Precipitation: 76 mm

Jun

30.4°C17.7
Precipitation: 31 mm

Jul

33.4°C20.3
Precipitation: 4 mm

Aug

33.6°C20
Precipitation: 9 mm

Sep

29.2°C16
Precipitation: 50 mm

Oct

23.1°C8.5
Precipitation: 95 mm

Nov

18.3°C6.3
Precipitation: 199 mm

Dec

15.8°C3.1
Precipitation: 203 mm
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