Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër, UNESCO World Heritage historic centres in Berat and Gjirokastër, Albania

The Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastër are two Ottoman-era towns in southern Albania inscribed by UNESCO in 2005 and 2008. Gjirokastër, the city of stone, climbs the steep side of the Drino valley, its old houses roofed with stone slabs; Berat, the city of a thousand windows, stacks white houses with large windows up a hillside below its castle. Both retain bazaars, churches, mosques and castles.

Both cities originated in the 13th century and grew under Byzantine and later Ottoman rule, with each period leaving architectural traces in the streets and buildings. They remained important trade centers for centuries until the 19th century, when Gjirokastër became a major military stronghold while Berat continued as a religious and commercial hub.

Gjirokastër hosts Albania's national folk festival every four years, most recently in 2005. Its 17th-century bazaar was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire. Berat's historic centre, added to the UNESCO list in 2008, shows centuries of peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Christian communities, with mosques from 1417 and Byzantine churches in the Kala castle.

Exploring requires comfortable walking shoes because of the many stairs and steep slopes, especially when visiting the castles and reaching upper neighborhoods. Both cities have limited parking near the centers, so it is best to arrive early or use public transportation.

Gjirokastër's stone-slab roofs earned it the nickname "city of stone", and its old bazaar was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire destroyed the 17th-century original. The castle's northern section served as a political prison under King Zog and during the communist regime. Inside the citadel, a US Air Force Lockheed T-33 forced down in December 1957 is displayed.