Lago Avandaro at Valle de Bravo, Mexico.
Where are Kevin and Ruth now? Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

Where are Kevin and Ruth going next? Playa del Carmen on December 17th!

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Beautiful day to visit a castle with a view

Berat Castle isn't really a castle as such. It's more of a fortress... a walled village on top of a hill, and many people still live within the fortress. There's quite a bit to see, and at one time there were over 20 churches up there. There are also quite a few guest houses. Most of the buildings inside the fort were built in the 13th century, although there is evidence of occupation that goes back to 200 BC.

We were surprised that they actually charge a 300 lek ($3.60 CAD. $2.85 USD) per person entrance fee, but it's only applicable if you drive up and enter through the main gate. I had read that if you walk up using a path that the locals use to get from the castle to the city and back, then it's totally free. Of course we were going to hike up anyhow, so that's the route we took!

It was another beautiful day. The forecast says we're in for a stretch of perfect weather!

Heading uphill.

It didn't take long to start to get a view.

We can't get enough of those gorgeous mountains.

Sure enough, we got to the wall, and there were steps with an opening through the wall. We headed around to the main viewpoint overlooking Berat and the Osum River.

Berat, Albania.

Looking the opposite way.

The Gorica Bridge.
Originally built in 1927, and renovated in 2015.

Ruth, enjoying the view.


Berat, Albania.



When you build a wall this big, it lasts for a long time!

Unfortunate that the church/monastery of St. George has fallen into a state of disrepair.
Many of the churches within the walls don't actually look like churches.

All that remains of this mosque is part of the minaret.




Me!


This is the cistern.

Can you see the opening on the right? I made it three steps down and then saw that the steps just disintegrate and you end up falling into the cistern. No railings or barriers. You are responsible where you put your feet!

I poked the camera into the cistern.

There's the steps on the right that just disappear.




The Church of Holy Trinity.

Unfortunately, all the churches were locked up and you couldn't see the interior!

Same church, as seen from below.

Scenery along the way.

Statue of Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who ruled from 306 to 337 AD.

Ruth, reading the information sign at another church.

Again, the churches are all locked up. But I found a small hole that my camera lens just barely fit through... and snapped a photo.

I think the best parts of these churches are probably the interior!

All kinds of places to explore.


The main entrance gate.

Inside the castle walls where people still live.

View from Berat Castle.

What a beautiful area.

The view from where we sat and had lunch.

Another great day in Albania.

Today, we are setting off on a long hike... it's planned for 13 kms (8 miles), but who knows if we'll get sidetracked. It's another gorgeous blue sky day and they are calling for a high of 18C (65F). Perfect!

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17 comments:

  1. Those are definitely beautiful views no matter which direction you look.
    Be Safe and continue Enjoying your hikes.

    It's about time.

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    Replies
    1. They certainly are! We might have to take a hike back up there one evening, we have heard that the sunset views are beautiful.

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  2. I would love to see inside the churches. Do you know if they’re permanently closed or perhaps open in be the summer months?

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    1. We would also love to see inside those churches but apparently they have been locked up for quite some time now. Which is surprising seeing that the signs outside say they are "historic cultural sites". I thought maybe they would open up in the summer season when there are more tourists around but that isn't the case, perhaps they are closed to protect the frescoes! I tried to look up the info but couldn't find out a reason why, just that they have been closed for a number of years now. :-(

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  3. Beautiful area. The snow on the mountains give a dramatic feel.

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    Replies
    1. It really is a beautiful place and yes, that snow capped mountain makes a great backdrop for the town. :-)

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  4. Amazing to see the ancient art Just hanging around as it has for millennia. Locked to protect it from looting and vandalism.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it certainly is! It would have been so nice to seen more of it, rather than that little sneak peak. And yes, perhaps it is all locked up to protect the frescoes from damage, both the human kind and the natural kind.

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  5. A beautiful day full pf gorgeous scenery and interesting pictures. Loved the bird! Thanks for another inspiring blog. Safe travels.

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    1. It is hard to have a bad day here in Berat, there is definitely a lot to see and explore.

      That little bird is called a Common chaffinch and he really looked pretty especially from the side but he wouldn't cooperate for us and this was the best picture we could get of him.

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  6. Replies
    1. It certainly would be. I would rather live in the castle area now though, rather that many, many years ago! ;-)

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  7. You 2 are adventurers! Of course we are following along, totally enjoying it! Take care, Rawn

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    Replies
    1. We definitely love to explore, that is why we love to travel.

      We are very happy that you are enjoying our posts and pictures and following along with us. :-)

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  8. It really is a beautiful area. There is a lot to see and do in the town itself and the surrounding area. We are definitely enjoying our time here.

    It was quite quiet while we were up in the castle area but there were definitely people around. Kevin does quite often try to take pictures without people in them if possible but we have to admit it wasn't hard to do on this day. I am sure the weekends would be a different story.

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  9. Truly an interesting place. So much to see. Keep on travelling.

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    Replies
    1. Very much so! We are really enjoying ourselves here. :-)

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