Berat is known as “the city of a thousand windows” for these Ottoman-era buildings climbing up the hill. Berat is also known as the White City. Its name comes from the Serbian “beligrad”, which means “white city” — which is awfully close to Beograd, which we know as Belgrade — another “white city”.
The buildings are constructed with a smaller ground floor and overhanging upper floor, allowing a passageway between buildings while maximizing space on the upper floor.
If you look at the last photo of the mountain, there’s a church on the upper left near the top of the mountain. The church is only accessible by stairs from the street level far below!
I loved strolling along this lively promenade with its view of the Ottoman buildings climbing up the hills.
Note Berat Castle high up on the hill above the city. I have a separate article about the castle.
A typical narrow street between Ottoman-era houses.
The fortress and a church high above the city. The church is only accessible by stairs from the city far below. Would you climb it?
Here’s the early stages of the stairs leading up to that church.