Mangalem Quarter

Mangalem is the quarter that climbs the slope between the Osum and the castle at Berat, a stack of white Ottoman houses built one above another so tightly that each has a clear view over the roofs below, with large wooden-framed windows filling the upper floors, and it is that arrangement, hundreds of windows facing the same way down the hill, that produced the town's nickname as the city of a thousand windows. The lanes are steep and cobbled and largely too narrow for vehicles, and the quarter is lived in. The King's Mosque, the Bachelors' Mosque with its painted facade, and a dervish tekke stand within it. Mangalem, Gorica across the river and the castle above together make up the World Heritage inscription.

What you actually see

• Tiered houses with wide windows - the arrangement behind the nickname.
• Steep cobbled lanes - the quarter climbing to the castle gate.
• The Bachelors' Mosque - with its painted exterior decoration.
• The view from Gorica bridge - the whole quarter seen from across the river.

When to go

April to October. Two to three hours walking the lanes and up to the castle. Late afternoon light on the facades from across the river is the classic view. Summer midday is hot on the slope.

Honest expectations

The lanes are steep and cobbled and hard work in heat. It is residential and people live behind those windows; walk quietly and do not photograph into houses. Some houses are derelict. Parking below is limited.

Nearby

Berat castle is above; the Gorica bridge and quarter lie across the river.