The 'town of a thousand windows', with white Ottoman houses stacked up a hillside beneath a castle that people still live in. Here's what Berat is like, when to go and how long to stay.
Euros are often accepted in tourist areas, but prices are better in lek. Check entry rules on GOV.UK before you book.
Temperatures are the average daytime high in °C.
April, May, September and October are best for climbing to the castle. Summer is very hot. Autumn brings the wine harvest in the nearby vineyards. Winter is cool and wet.
A lived-in castle with churches, a mosque ruin and views over the valley.
The hillside quarter of white houses with rows of windows.
Icons by Albania's great 16th-century painter, in a castle church.
An Ottoman bridge to the quarter across the river.
Local wineries near Berat make good wines from native grapes.
A canyon for rafting in spring, about 1 hour 30 minutes away.
Yes. It's one of Albania's two UNESCO-listed Ottoman towns and a highlight of any trip to the country.
Fly into Tirana, then take a bus or drive, about 2 hours.
One or two days covers the castle and old quarters.
Spring and autumn, around 20 to 29°C.
Both are lovely. Berat is closer to Tirana, Gjirokastër closer to the southern beaches. Many people visit both.
Put Berat on standby with everyone's other ideas. You each spread your points in secret, get one veto, and the draw picks where you go.