Berat and Osumi Canyon in one day

Berat and Osumi Canyon in one day

Berat offers you great views by having a lot of white buildings situated in hills and dating from the Ottoman Empire. It is also known as the city of a thousand windows.

Highlights: Castle, Onufri Museum, Osumi Canyon, Ethnographic Museum

Osumi Canyon and the Castle of Berat

You start the trip driving to Osumi Canyon. It is one of the most beautiful canyons in the Balkans. River Osumi passes by, it has a rich flora and fauna and the water is very clear. Also, there are a lot of bird species. Different rock formations are found along the canyon and some of them are even named like “The Eye”, “The Demon’s Door”, etc.

The Ethnographic Museum of Berat is the next visit. It is located is a 18^th century residence and represents the way of life of prominent families and the tradition of locals as well. It holds nearly 1200 cultural heritage objects. All the pieces are beautifully placed within the residence by the ethnographers.

After that, you will have lunch in the castle and continue with visiting the castle and Onufri Museum. The castle was built around 13^th century. Inside there are houses, bars, restaurants, bazaar and museums. The view this castle offers to you is breathtaking since you can see the whole city of Berat from the castle’s courtyard.

Onufri Museum and the Medieval Quarter

Onufri Museum is also located in the castle, in the highest altitude. Its name comes from a famous Albanian painter, Onufri. The museum holds around 173 objects chosen from a fund from churches and monasteries. Besides Onufri’s art works you can find paintings from other Albanian well know painters as well.

Mangalem is a Muslim part of Berat and there you can find three grand mosques. Each of them has its own design and history that makes them worth visiting. Gorica just like Mangalem is a historic neighborhood and has the Gorica Bridge which connects this neighborhood with the city. Also, it is one of the most beautiful Ottoman bridges in Albania.

The Medieval part of the city obviously shows best the influence the Ottomans had there. You can find the King Mosque, Halveti Tekke and some monumental tombs in this complex.

Itinerary for the day:

08:00 – Drive to Osumi Canyon
09:00 – Explore the Osumi Canyon
12:30 – Visit the Ethnographic Museum
13:30 – Lunch in the Castle
14:50 – Visit Onufri Museum and the Castle
18:00 – Free time; explore Mangalem, Gorica and Medieval Part of Berat

Onufri Museum