We just spent some time in a couple of very scenic Albanian hill towns. Berat is the “City of Windows” and Gjirokaster is the “City of Stone”. They both had a lot of windows, a lot of stone and a very sweaty hike to the fortress in the middle of town. Both of them are historic enough to be named UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We had a great time and took a lot of pictures in each town but I don’t think I can tell you my favorite. We are getting to understand Albania a bit better now and are looking forward to seeing more….
First, lets start with our 4 nights in Berat. We started with our customary free walking tour to get our bearings and an idea of what the town is like from a local. We strolled through the old stone alleys, crossed the old bridges and ended up at the fortress on top of the town. We spent the evening on the town’s pedestrian street, having a good dinner and then watching the Albania football World Cup Qualifying match in a local bar. The next day, we took a huge walk around the non touristy part of town in the morning and then going on a wine tasting tour at night. The wine was OK, the Raki (Balkan Liqueur) was good but the best part was hanging out and talking with a bunch of other travelers. The next day we just needed some rest time before heading to our next city.
We were ready to move on so we took a 2.5 hour bus down to Gjirokaster. It was another town of stunning views with photo opportunities around every corner. We really enjoyed our dinner the first night in the heart of the tourist quarter. We continue to enjoy the good Balkan food for less than $10 a plate, with wine and beer going for $3 or less. The next day we explored a few small museums to visit in some of the older houses and then we headed up to the castle. More pictures were taken. We only had reserved 2 nights in Gjirokaster and were able to see most of the sites in one day. That doesn’t mean we were ready to leave though….
We stayed in Airbnb’s in both towns. Both places were run by Albanian families so it feels good for us to put our tourist dollars into local’s hands instead of corporate run hotels. The place in Berat was a bit strange. The large bedroom was filled with 3 beds but had zero couches. We really just wanted to sit… It also had tons of storage cabinets, dressers and closets… but they were all filled with the family’s clothes. The older lady that ran the place and lived next door was so nice that it is easy to forgive the places idiosyncrasies. She brought us homemade biscuits and cherry jam one morning. It also had an amazing view from the rooftop that were surprised to find in a place that was only $50 per night.
The Airbnb in Gjirokaster might have the best view that we have ever had for a travel accommodation. The host had her father pick us up at the bus station so we didn’t have to hire a taxi. One day, her mother brought us some fantastic cheese pie. Our Albanian hosts have been super friendly and this place was the best. It had a wrap around deck that we could see the whole town from. We had seen all the town’s attractions is one day but we wanted to stay longer just for the views…
One last thing I have to share is the turtles we have seen. The turtles that we have seen in Albania don’t need to live in water. We saw a couple walking around Berat and then we saw one up at the winery. The winery dog also found this turtle and decided to make it “dog toy”. The winery worker wasn’t too concerned because the turtle can be safe hiding inside of its shell. But, he did force the dog to leave the turtle alone which made the rest of us happy. I will add that to the list of things I have never seen before.
We haven’t been on a beach in a long time and we need a place to relax for a bit and slow down our travels. Next stop is the Albanian beach town of Sarande!