Albania > Ottoman houses of Berat

When leaving Tirana, we notice that the navigation is directing us onto the highway. This is not our intention. We adjust the destination to a location closer by (Elbasi) and choose the shortest route. We drive through narrow mountain roads across the Albanian landscape. People along the way look at our car with curiosity. Two little boys on a donkey cart loaded with grass wave enthusiastically. In Albania, there are numerous police checkpoints. Contrary to our expectations, we are not stopped. We had assumed that as tourists we would be treated like cash cows. We get the feeling that officers are not allowed to stop tourists. Cars in front of us and behind us are stopped, though. Strange, but certainly not a problem. As we pass a small restaurant, we see the motorcyclists sitting there. We turn back and order something to drink as well. Once we continue, the motorcyclists ride ahead. At the next roundabout, Wilco slips. He skids in the turn because of sand and small stones.

Albania - The old Ottoman houses in Berat

Fortunately, there are only scratches on his motorcycle and no major damage. Just after one o’clock, we arrive at our next overnight stop. The campsite is about ten kilometers before the UNESCO-listed city of Berat. We are the only guests on the campsite, which resembles more of a backyard. We set up our tent. After lunch, we perform maintenance on the Landrover and the motorcycles. We top up the oil in the transfer case under the car. At the end of the afternoon, we head to Berat. The old center of Berat consists of ancient Ottoman houses. The whitewashed houses are built against the mountainside. Since the tent is already set up on the car and the motorcycles are unloaded, we take public transport. From the campsite, we catch a minibus. Every few minutes, a bus seems to pass by toward Berat. On the main road, a minibus stops immediately. Along the way, people get on and off several times. When the minibus arrives at the bus station, we are told we need to get off. Other passengers gesture that we should transfer to a line bus. It is an old French bus, though there are also several old Dutch buses. In the center, most passengers leave the bus. A young man gestures that we should get off too. Outside, he points the way to the citadel. Quickly, we follow his directions and climb to the citadel, which is 214 meters higher. A fairly steep climb. The citadel is depicted on a 10 LEK coin. The sun is already sinking on the horizon, and we want to enjoy the view with sunlight shining on the Ottoman houses. At the top, we walk along the old walls of the citadel. In the past, there were 42 churches within the fortified walls. Today, only a few remain. We don’t pay much attention to them. We ask several times for the viewpoint. From the top, we have a beautiful view of the lower-lying Gorica district. The light of the setting sun just touches the neighborhood. Back down, we settle on a terrace along a walking promenade. Numerous Albanians stroll back and forth. It’s amusing to see the same people pass by repeatedly. In a restaurant overlooking the city, we end the evening. The traditional meal is somewhat disappointing. To return to the campsite, we take a taxi. The driver has to put on his glasses to read our ticket with the address, but afterward he drives at high speed back to our overnight location.