Of the seven charming Balkan countries Dave and I visited, we liked Albania the very most. On May 5, 2026, we traveled to Berat, Albania, the southernmost point of our trip, almost to the Greek border.
Berat, a UNESCO site, is known as the "Town of 1000 Windows" because of the many Ottoman-style homes climbing its hillsides.
It is a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains and with a river running through it.
We climbed the last quarter mile to the fortress on top of the hill, past shops flying Albania's bright red flag, adorned with a black, double-headed eagle. That double-headed eagle symbol was imprinted on t-shirts, made into jewelry, and flown on flags all over the country. Dave bought a t-shirt emblazoned with a black, double-headed eagle.
We walked past stone cottages with grape vines outside and great views of the mountains.
Fortresses are everywhere in the Balkans, attesting to the area's violent history.
On our way to the top, we passed a local musician with his instrument.
We peered over the side of the fortress down to the city below. Bight red poppies adorned the fortress.
The Church of the Dormition of Mary was at the top of the hill, near the fortress.
The church was ornately decorated with Byzantine art.
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The church also had a museum with one of the finest collections of Orthodox religious paintings in the Balkans.
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