2-Day Berat Tour with Osumi Canyons and Wine Tasting

• Start with the Castle of Berat, one of the oldest cities in the Balkan region. Berat Castle was built on a 178 m hill.

• From the castle, enjoy views of the mountains, valleys, and rivers. It houses about 400 old houses from the 17th century and more than 20 churches from the 13th century.

• Old Illyrian walls, Byzantine churches, and 2 mosques make the visit even more interesting.

• Visit the Iconography Museum. It was named to honour Onufri, an Albanian painting master of the 16th century. Onufri was a master of icons and frescoes who lived in the 15th century, and he is famous because he depicted a great revolution through his paintings. He created a mysterious red colour that even scientists do not know how he made.

• After a 2-hour visit to the castle, enjoy free time to explore narrow cobbled paths and carvings in wood and stone made by locals.

• The other part of the day will be spent in downtown Mangalem or, as it is known, the City of Thousand Windows.

• This neighbourhood has a unique type of construction and is one of the oldest in the city. Craftsmen once inhabited it, and about 500 families of artisans used to live here.

• Visit St Michael Church, a sacred place for Christians built in the 13th century with perfect Byzantine architecture.

• Visit the Bachelor Mosque and find out why it is called so.

• After Mangalem, go to Gorica, the other old part of town, built during the 17th century. It was inhabited mostly by people from southern Albania.

• Walk over Gorica Bridge, the biggest one in Albania, constructed in 1777. Commissioned by Kurt Pasha, the Pasha of Berat, it is still well preserved.

• There are endless monuments in Berat to visit, such as the King Mosque, built by Sultan Bajazit in 1490.

• A few meters from there is Helveti Teqe, built in 1500 and rebuilt later by Kurt Pasha in 1722. It is a unique monument in Albania, and its ceiling is decorated with 24-karat gold.

• Enjoy wine tasting in Berat, famous for its wines, in the late afternoon. Try some indigenous white wine called The White of Berat or Pulsi I Beratit. Go on a wine tour exploring the vineyard and the process used by locals to produce it. Try some Albanian snacks here as well.

• Take a breather now and relax. Tomorrow will be a long and unforgettable day.

• Start early in the morning, as there will be many things to do, beginning with a nice drive offering stunning views of the river, valley, old houses, and mountains.

• After a 1-hour drive from Berat, stop in Bogove, a special village famous for its picturesque natural scenery, national park, freshwater, and large mountain trees.

• Begin an easy hike to reach the hidden Bogova Waterfall. The fresh water of the river, created by the waterfall, will follow you all the way. Listen to the sounds of the river, birds, and wind. The weather here will be cool and pleasant.

• After a 30-minute easy hike, arrive at Bogova. The hidden waterfall and its special sounds will be music to the soul. Brave travellers can jump and swim in the cool, clean water.

• Return to the car and proceed towards Poliçan, a town founded only to create guns. During communist times, it was the most secure place in Albania. Nowadays, it seems like a ghost town, though the taste of the past is still there. Old gun factories and sophisticated bunkers and tunnels built to protect important members of the communist government still exist here.

• After experiencing the communist era, move to Osumi Canyons, known as the Colorado of Albania. It is about 15 km long, and the highest part of the canyon is about 78 m. Created millions of years ago, it gives a special feeling, with the Osumi River running through these canyons among different kinds of trees, birds, and more. It is a great place to swim or take photos.

• Take a short break to explore the area, and after admiring the beauty, go on an adventure trek to explore the canyon.

• Start trekking through the canyon. On the way, cross the river several times.

• After 1 hour of trekking, stop at a point where it can become impossible to walk further. Those who are brave enough can cross the other part by swimming.

• Go back to two more stops and learn about the two legends. One legend is about Abaz Ali, a fighter and cousin of Prophet Mohamed, whose soul, locals believe, comes to rest in eternity here in this land. The followers call themselves Bektashi. The place is the 12th Islam branch, the biggest in Albania, with their headquarters in Tirana. The other legend is a secret that will be disclosed at the canyon.

• Later, transfer back to Berat.

End of tour.