Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra

The Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra comprise two Albanian towns that preserve Ottoman-era urban structures and vernacular architecture. Each town exhibits a characteristic cluster of houses and fortified elements adapted to a hilltop setting.

Berat is notable for its hillside arrangement with stacked, multi-storey houses and a castle complex above the old town. Gjirokastra features stone-built Ottoman-era houses with slate roofs and a large castle overlooking the valley. Both towns retain original street plans and many historic domestic buildings.

Both centres developed under Ottoman rule from the late medieval period into the early modern era, with local elites building townhouses and religious complexes that reflect regional Ottoman architectural traditions. Castles and fortified districts record earlier Byzantine and medieval phases as well.

Berat is set on the Osum River in central-southern Albania, while Gjirokastra is located further south in a valley near the Drino River; both towns occupy strategic hilltop positions within hilly, inland terrain.

• Best viewpoints: The distinct traditional house types in Berat and Gjirokastra are best seen from viewpoints above the towns and from the castle walls that overlook the urban fabric.

What to See #

• Berat Castle (Kalaja): A fortified hilltop complex that contains a dense cluster of houses and historic churches overlooking the town and surrounding valley.
• Mangalem Quarter (Berat): A riverside neighbourhood characterized by rows of multi-storey Ottoman houses with many windows that give the town its nickname.
• Gjirokastra Castle: A large citadel on a rocky spur with fortifications and a castle complex that dominates the town and contains military and historic structures.
• Old Bazaar and historic houses (Gjirokastra): An Ottoman-era old town with stone houses, narrow cobbled streets and preserved examples of 17th- and 18th-century domestic architecture.