Berat

Berat, in central Albania, is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved towns in the country, a UNESCO gem known as the town of a thousand windows for the tiers of characteristic white Ottoman houses that climb its steep hillsides, their rows of large windows gazing out over the Osum River gorge. Crowned by a still-inhabited hilltop castle whose walls enclose Byzantine churches and old homes, and with historic Ottoman and Christian quarters facing each other across the river, it is a captivating, atmospheric survivor of the Ottoman age.

What you actually see

• The thousand windows - the tiers of white Ottoman houses on the hills.
• Berat Castle - the still-inhabited hilltop citadel and its churches.
• The Mangalem and Gorica quarters - the old districts across the river.
• The Onufri icon museum - the medieval Albanian religious art.

When to go

Spring and autumn for the mildest weather; the white houses glow beautifully in the warm light of morning and evening. Albania is an emerging, affordable and welcoming destination, quieter and cheaper than its Balkan neighbours, though growing in popularity.

Honest expectations

Albania's infrastructure is still developing, so roads can be rough and services basic, though it is affordable, safe and welcoming, with famously warm hospitality. Berat is small, seen in a day, its steep cobbled lanes tiring to walk. It is growing more popular but still relatively uncrowded. Its distinctive tiered Ottoman houses and hilltop castle, though, are genuinely beautiful.

Nearby

The Osum Canyon, the town of Gjirokaster and Tirana are within reach.