Mount Tomorr

Tomorr is a long limestone ridge rising to 2,416 metres east of Berat, standing well clear of the surrounding country so that it dominates the view from the town and a long way beyond, and it has been a sacred mountain for a very long time, associated in antiquity with a mountain deity and now with the Bektashi order, a Sufi tradition with a strong presence in Albania. A tekke and the tomb of Abbas ibn Ali stand near the summit, and each August a pilgrimage brings very large numbers of people up the mountain for several days, with animals sacrificed and camps on the high ground. Outside that period the mountain is empty, with a national park, beech forest on the flanks and open karst above.

What's there

• A 2,416-metre ridge above Berat - dominating the country around it.
• The summit tekke and tomb - the Bektashi shrine near the top.
• The August pilgrimage - several days of gathering on the mountain.
• Beech forest and open karst - the flanks and the plateau above.

When to go

June to September; the summit road is impassable in snow. A day, or overnight. The pilgrimage falls in late August and is the one time the mountain is crowded. Outside it there is almost nobody.

What to expect

The summit road is rough and requires a capable vehicle. The pilgrimage is a religious observance with animal sacrifice and is not a spectacle for visitors; attend respectfully or avoid it. There are no facilities outside the pilgrimage days. Weather changes fast.

Nearby

Berat is west; Osumi canyon lies south.

Key facts