[Apr. 2024] On an evening tour in Berat, Albania, we went to a spot where we could see the famous “1000 Windows.”
The area is characterized by a row of traditional houses built on a gentle slope, and each house has about 3 to 5 evenly-spaced, large windows, so the sheer number of windows is what catches your eye.
However, the area itself is not that large, so there probably aren’t 1000 windows.
I didn’t count them though.
I guess the 1000 means a lot.
The old town is divided into two by a river, and apparently the side where we were standing is mostly Muslim, and the other side is mostly Christian.
Where we were, there was a modern bridge, which was lit up after dark, but a little further ahead we could see a medieval bridge, too.
The tour ended here and we had free time.
We could have walked up the hill in the old town, but it was getting dark so we gave up and headed towards the new town.
We walked along the pedestrian path along the river.
On one side of this road, there are restaurants, cafes and pubs lined up.
I felt an atmosphere similar to Belgrade in Serbia or Plovdiv in Bulgaria.
It was a little cold, so we went into a cafe that served cocktails.
We had a mojito each here, and it was so delicious that we were surprised.
The sweetness was just right, and the mint aroma was effective.
And the price was reasonable at 500 lek (≒€5).
In places where tourism has suddenly become popular, they often charge exorbitant prices (like Dubrovnik in Croatia), but this place has not yet reached that level.
The shop staff were also nice.
On the way back to the meeting point, the lights of the 1000 Windows Old Town were on, creating a very nice atmosphere.
By the way, there are mosques scattered around the old town on the Muslim side, and when an old lady on our tour saw the minaret, she asked the guide, “Is that a church obelisk?”
The guide, who had been explaining about mosques, realized that his explanation had been meaningless for her, said coldly, “It’s a minaret,” and left the place.
What does “church obelisk” mean anyway?
I heard it through my husband’s translation, and it was so funny that we kept saying “obelisk” and laughing for a few days afterwards.
But this old lady was 83 years old and had a lively, independent spirit.
She had joined the tour from Catania, Sicily with her son and his wife, and she walked the entire tour without problems and was mostly on her own.
Out of all the tour participants, this old lady was also the most stylish.
I laughed at the obelisk, but I can say that after that, her popularity steadily rose in my eyes.
