Must-see attractions in Central Albania

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    Kalaja

    Berat

    Hidden behind the crumbling walls of the fortress that crowns the hill above Berat is the whitewashed, village-like neighbourhood of Kala; if you walk…

  • Onufri Museum

    Berat

    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…

  • Durrës Archaeological Museum

    Durrës

    This ultra-modern, well lit and labelled museum just back from the seafront has a breathtaking collection of historical artefacts. Highlights include the…

  • Museum of Medieval Art

    Central Albania

    Korça's best museum is housed within a new, purpose-built space that really allows the stellar collection of Orthodox icons to shine. Highlights of the…

  • Bogove Waterfall

    Berat

    They might be fairly small, but these waterfalls, which from a distance appear to disappear in and out of the rocks, have a rare beauty and make for a…

  • Ethnographic Museum

    Berat

    Just off the steep hillside that leads up to Berat's castle is this excellent museum, which is housed in a beautiful 18th-century Ottoman house that's as…

  • Amphitheatre of Durrës

    Durrës

    The weathered Roman-era Amphitheatre of Durrës was built on the hillside inside the city walls in the early 2nd century AD. In its prime it had the…

  • National Ethnographic Museum

    Central Albania

    This traditional home in the castle complex below the Skanderbeg Museum houses one of the best ethnographic museums in the country. Set in an original…

  • Mangalem Quarter

    Berat

    Down in the traditionally Muslim Mangalem quarter, there are three grand mosques: the Sultan's Mosque, the Lead Mosque and the Bachelors' Mosque. All are…

  • Teqe

    Central Albania

    Right at the bottom of the castle complex are the remains of a small hammam (Turkish bath) as well as a functioning teqe – a small place of worship for…

  • Skanderbeg Museum

    Central Albania

    Designed by Enver Hoxha's daughter and son-in-law, this museum, inside the castle complex, opened in 1982. Its spacious seven-level interior displays…

  • Bazaar

    Central Albania

    This Ottoman-style bazaar was restored in 2015 and now looks better than ever. It's also one of the country's best places for souvenir shopping and has…

  • Archaeological Museum

    Central Albania

    Housed in the guesthouse of a larger mansion dating from 1870, this interesting (though itself fairly antique) museum has an excellent collection…

  • Sultan's Mosque

    Berat

    The 16th-century Sultan's Mosque is one of the oldest in Albania. The Helveti teqe (a place of worship for those practising the Bektashi branch of Islam)…

  • Castle

    Central Albania

    Kruja's once important castle is these days just an impressive ruin. Within its crumbling walls are Albanian flag sellers, pizza restaurants and an array…

  • Chapel of St Michael

    Berat

    Perched on a cliff ledge below the castle is the artfully positioned 14th-century chapel of St Michael, best viewed from the Gorica quarter across the…

  • Beach

    Central Albania

    At the eastern end of town is a long sandy beach. In summer the water is just about warm enough to swim in, and at this time the beach is covered in…

  • Church of St Theodore

    Berat

    The Orthodox church of St Theodore, close to the fortress gates, is normally closed, but if you are granted access, you'll discover some wonderful wall…

  • Lead Mosque

    Berat

    The big mosque just off the town square is the 16th-century Lead Mosque, so named because of the lead coating its sphere-shaped dome.

  • Red Mosque

    Berat

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

  • Church of the Holy Trinity

    Berat

    The substantial and picturesque Church of the Holy Trinity sits below the upper fortress. Of all the churches within the fortress walls, it's the best…

  • Bachelors' Mosque

    Berat

    The 19th-century Bachelors' Mosque is down by the Osumi River. It was built for unmarried shop assistants and junior craftsmen, and is perched between…

  • Chapel of St Mary Blachernae

    Berat

    The small chapel of St Mary Blachernae, which dates from the 13th century and contains some 16th-century wall murals, is unfortunately normally kept…

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