AUTUMN CASTLES- Gjirokaster and Berat, Albania

.....previously, our sunny beach fun on the Albanian Riviera........

After quite a long stay (for us!) in sunny Sarande, we were feeling the familiar itchy feet and decided on a trip to Gjirokaster, a nearby fortress town in the hills of inland southern Albania. The road to reach Gjirokaster was absolutely stunning, especially the climb up to a mountain pass full of autumn yellowing oaks and sweet chestnuts, and the beautifully clear river which the road followed. We then descended back into the more familiar terrain of olives and goats. 

Steep stone cobblestone streets, Gjirokaster, Albania

Autumn had arrived, Gjirokaster, Albania

A slog uphill with our backpacks awaited us on arrival, as the old town is set around a castle high up on a hillside. Our little room wasn't much to write home about, but the setting was fantastic, on a cute little cobblestone stone street leading to the old bazaar in the centre of town. The old town was charmingly higgledy-piggledy, obviously having developed over hundreds of years. It was a mix of styles and eras, having grown up in the Byzantine times in the 1300s, and then under the Ottomans for five centuries between the 1400s and the 1900s. Houses, churches, mosques and towns squares were stone and wood, with some unique designs- the huge, flat stone slab rooves being particularly quirky. 

Friendly man on his balcony, Gjirokaster, Albania

Charming gate into house, Gjirokaster, Albania

Cross between a house and a tower, Gjirokaster, Albania

View from a hilltop, Gjirokaster, Albania

Unusual wood and stone houses, Gjirokaster, Albania

Narrow laneway in Gjirokaster, Albania

The town is historically famous for it's male polyphonic singing, which we happened to hear whilst sitting having a beer. Some older gents spontaneously began to sing together drawing a crowd- not for money or show, it seemed, simply for enjoyment. 

Traditional houses on a sunny hillside, Gjirokaster, Albania

Rich on top of a hill, 

We are self-proclaimed fort fanatics, especially when we're in India, loving the grandeur of such places. As a result, we have quite high standards, but Gjirokaster Castle definitely lived up to that ideal. The minute we stepped inside the dark, dramatic interior housing dozens of field guns and other massive artillery in huge stone alcoves, we knew we were in for a treat. The informative museum lead to an outside area, which impressed us with gorgeous 360 degree views, and plenty of photographic rubble to poke around. The Ottoman-style brick arches, stairways that led to nowhere and underground spooky subterranean tunnels were all wonderfully characterful. The fact that we were the only people there was an added bonus, and added to the secluded ambience. 

Wonderful setting, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Inside an underground room, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Ruined staircases, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Prepared for an invasion, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Ancient hero, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Beautiful stonework, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Remains of the castle, Gjirokaster Castle, Albania

Directly outside the castle, the old stone buildings continued down the hillside, gradually and seamlessly transitioning into the new town.

Typical house, Gjirokaster, Albania

Old town setting, Gjirokaster, Albania

Walking down from the castle, Gjirokaster, Albania

One problem with Gjirokaster was because of it's situation on the side of a hill, at that time of year, the town received absolutely no sunlight in the afternoon. The full shade combined with lower temperatures was a bit of a shock to us after sunny Sarande! We made sure we were up very early to make the most of the lovely morning warmth for as long as possible. Another problem was the lack of cheap eats in the old part of town. Restaurants there catered to tourists, and the mini markets were poorly stocked. So we made the trek down to the more affordable new town for supplies.

Shady afternoon streets, Gjirokaster, Albania

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Onward and upwards we travelled - to Berat, the site of the biggest castle complex in the country. Again, the furgon ride was wonderfully scenic- it seems there is no other kind in Albania. Rural scenes passed us with donkeys pulling carts, olives being harvested, the last of the pomegranate and persimmon trees glowing with red fruit, newly ready citrus trees bright with oranges, and an overall lovely gold, red and brown autumn landscape, amongst the green of the olive groves. The many agricultural areas along the way highlighted Albania's self sufficiency in produce.

Beautiful autumn scenery around Berat, Albania (taken from the bus)

Although both historic towns set around ancient castles, Gjirokaster and Berat had a very different feel to each other. Berat had an unique setting, with the town straddling either side of the Osum River, one side traditionally Orthodox Christian (Gorica) and the other Muslim (Mangalemi). The fortifications high upon the northern side still housed a population of residents, as well as vestiges of ancient times. The bridges joining the quarters boasted fabulous views of the old parts with the incredible mountains in the background, constantly and magnificently changing with the weather, light and time of day.

Old town of Berat, Albania

Gorgeous bridge and mountain view, Berat, Albania

Typical Berat-style houses, Albania

Rich in Autumn colours, Berat, Albania

Detail on Berat door, Albania

We found a modest guesthouse in Gorica, and were enthusiastically welcomed by a friendly mother and son- he a recently graduated student in gender studies and her a university qualified chef. They had strong family connections with Australia, and not only were there pictures of koalas in the rooms, but mum wore an apron with the Australian flag on! Our little room was cosy and warm and the breakfast and dinners we enjoyed in the adjoining small restaurant were eaten by a wood burning stove for extra atmosphere. 

Staying warm waiting for food, Berat, Albania

We ate all our meals at the guesthouse, and as would be expected, they were splendid and all made with local ingredients. Homemade bread, jam and burek (pastry with cheese), eggs and orange juice from the garden were breakfast, and dinner included stuffed peppers, fergese (baked dish with lamb and vegetables), fasouli (bean casserole), olives and salad made with local produce. A turkey dinner was an unexpected treat. We had seen rafters of turkeys in the fields from the bus, and learned they are traditionally eaten by every family in Albania on New Year's Eve. Since we would be gone by then, it was interesting to try, but not as interesting as the turkey soup we were served for breakfast the next morning! Homemade red wine and raki rounded out the lavish meals.

Fergese and stuffed eggplant (it looks burnt, but it wasn't!)

It was satisfying to explore and become lost in the different quarters- all being exceedingly characterful and charming, with narrow, quiet cobblestone streets, many tiny dead-end lanes, cats lazing in the sun and delightful stone and wood houses descending gently up the hill. The homes were often very well looked after and decorated in an appealing manner with flowers and plants, and quite a different style from Gjirokaster, most markedly the roof tiles. 

Berat's tiled rooftops, Albania

Plenty of cute wooden doors and windows to keep Rich happy!

Looking up the hill, Berat, Albania

A town of many cats, Berat, Albania

Morning sunshine in the back lanes of Berat, Albania

Local produce for sale, backstreets, Berat, Albania

Berat style architecture, Gorica, Albania

The many churches were all tantalisingly locked behind stone walls and wooden gates sometimes containing holes we were able to peer through. We realized we have visited very few religious buildings while in Albania. This is perhaps fitting, as although there are huge numbers of Orthodox Christians, Catholics and Muslims here, religion doesn't seem to rule life in Albania- maybe it's a left over from the Communist era where religious freedom wasn't encouraged. Or perhaps, that is completely wrong!

What's behind all the walls? Berat, Albania

More cobblestone lanes and mysterious tall stone walls, Berat, Albania

Peeking the camera into a ruined house, Berat, Albania

The walk to the top of the hill and the castle was a bit of a trudge, but was worth the effort. Roman building began on the structure in the 1400s , and over the years much was added and rebuilt, especially in the 13th century. The Byzantine and Ottoman styles were the overwhelming remnants left today. The residential part was of less interest to us, with nice roads, street lamps and smart guesthouses. We spent more time exploring the ramparts, scrambling around the ruined parts of the old walls, and checking out the dilapidated remains of a subterranean cistern and various Byzantine and Ottoman churches and mosques (only from the outside, all the sites were closed when we visited). The beautiful big mountains surrounding Berat were shown off to their best advantage from the various view points around the castle, and in the valley far below were small villages with neat rows of plantations. 

Exploring the ramparts, Berat Castle, Albania

Sweeping views to the far away mountains, Berat Castle, Albania

Time out at the sun drenched castle cafe, Berat, Albania

We stayed at one particularly pleasing point near the red brick 14th century Holy Trinity Church for some time, soaking up the stunning visuals and warm sunshine.

Spectacular aspect from Holy Trinity Church, Berat, Albania

Rich pondering, Holy Trinity Church, Berat, Albania

The stroll down from the castle was hard on the knees, but several stops for coffees, or to chat briefly with the mostly friendly townspeople broke up the pain somewhat!

A repeat visit to Berat may be on the cards in the future- there is much to see in the ancient town, and three days wasn't enough for us to gain any deep insight to the place. It would also be lovely to see the difference to the town in a warm season.

Amazingly, three months had completely whizzed by since our arrival into Tirana, and we had to leave Albania. If it wasn't for the time constraint given by the three month visa waiver, we would for sure have considered Albania as a place to stay for the winter. As it was, we were also happy to be heading back to Serbia to spend December in Belgrade.

.......a short blog post to sum up costs etc in Albania, up next.......