Plan Harmony

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Berat Castle, Rruga Mihal Komnena, Berat 5001 Albania

Visit Berat Castle, a fortress landmark in the city of Berat, Albania, lies high above the Osum River. The castle dates back 2,500 years and records of its first conquering were accomplished by the Romans in 200 B.C. After many centuries of stone reinforcement, the exterior (perimeter) was enlarged slowly over time, under Byzantine conquerors, in the 5th, 6th, and 13th centuries. Currently the castle is in restoration due in part to a UNESCO World Heritage Site acknowledgment. (This is a welcome "gift" for the residents of the castle who have been left underserved as the city below has gotten much attention.)

Inside Berat castle houses many historical elements. A Mosque, "Red Mosque", which can be identified by it's lonely minaret (a staircase inside provides access to the top), more than 20 Christian churches, and a central museum which surrounds one of the largest Orthodox churches with many 16th century paintings, by "Master Onufri", and a decorative alter inside. (Many churches in Albania were destroyed during the Communist years as an "Atheist State" was declared during Enver Hoxha's reign.) Other architectural elements are court yards, a large cistern in the center, and numerous houses of stone in which the residents of the castle still occupy today; this is an absolute specialty in castle heavy Europe as it's one of the last remaining!

Accessing the castle easily can only be done from the Southern side. Many people who continue to live in the castle enter and exit the Southern entrance as the Northern is a drop off to the Osum River, over 100m. If entering by foot, a 200m walk up the steep cobblestone hill from downtown Berat will be rewarding. Many residents of the castle prefer to take an afternoon bus that departs from the opposite side of the city, straight through town, and up a back route.



Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Kisha Shen Triadha (Holy Trinity Church), Berat Albania

Visit Holy Trinity Church is one of the oldest churches in Berat. Easily accessible, the church is located in the historic Mangalem neighborhood in Berat, on the southern side of the Berat Castle. Because of the steep terrain on which it stands, the castle has a beautiful panoramic view over the historic Gorica neighborhood, Osumi River, and the contemporary Berat Promenade, otherwise known as the famous UNESCO-protected harmonious ensemble that is Berat.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: Ruins of the Red Mosque, PW4W+R9F, Berat, Albania

Visit The Red Mosque, by the southern Kala walls, was the first mosque in Berat and dates back to the 15th century.

Duration: 5 minutes

Stop At: National Iconographic Museum Onufri, Located in the Inner Part of Saint Mary Church in Berat Castel, Berat Albania

Visit The Onufri Museum is situated in the Kala quarter's biggest church, the Church of the Dormition of St Mary (Kisha Fjetja e Shën Mërisë). The church itself dates from 1797 and was built on the foundations of an earlier 10th-century chapel. Today Onufri's spectacular 16th-century religious paintings are displayed along with the church's beautifully gilded 19th-century iconostasis. Don't miss the chapel behind the iconostasis, or its painted cupola,
whose frescoes are now faded almost to invisibility.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: The King Mosque, Rruga Kurt Pasha, Berat Albania

Visit King Mosque (Albanian: Xhamia Mbret) is a mosque and a Cultural Monument of Albania, located in Berat. It became a Cultural Monument in 1948. The mosque was built in the 15th century by Bayezid II.


Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Bulevardi Republika, Berat Albania

Visit Bulevardi republika Famous pedestrian street

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: Mangalem, Berat, Albania

Visit The Mangalemi quarter, better known as the "City of 1000 Windows", dates back centuries to the Ottoman ruling period and the architectural elements of each home clearly illustrates this. If one was to compare the ancient construction of the Mangalemi quarter to present day, residential architecture, the differences of highly placed windows to slow intruder advances, stairwells winding particular directions to allow sword strike advantage for the owner, and animal storage areas would be found.

The Mangalemi quarter is a sister neighborhood to the Gorica quarter across the Osum River below. One of the pleasures the Mangalemi quarter holds over the Gorica quarter is exposure to the sun. During the winter the Gorica quarter is hidden in shade, which is a benefit in the hot summertime, however a significant disadvantage in winter.



Duration: 10 minutes

• All Fees and Taxes
• Gliko&cafe tasting
• Tour Guide
• Entry/Admission - Berat Castle
• Entry/Admission - The King Mosque

• Everything not mentioned

• Not wheelchair accessible
• Most travelers can participate
• Gear/equipment sanitized between use
• Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
• Guides required to regularly wash hands
• Regular temperature checks for staff
• Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
• This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

See Availability

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.