Top of the World
Berat City stole my heart. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the city houses an ancient citadel, alleyways, picturesque hills, and has origins dating back 2,400 years. The old town is like a film set, full of alleys and vines, old houses, courtyards, and populated by only about 100 people.
The “newer city” has two sides, historically. Mangalam, the traditional Muslim area, lies north of the river, and Gorica, the Christian area, is south of the river. One is an architectural wonder hosting the “Hill of the Thousand Windows” (above) comprised of houses perched on a hill with no roadways—just steps and paths. The other is a majestic hill of olives. We sat in a restaurant on a hill dominating the Osumi River and the Myzeqe lowlands. I was spellbound in admiration of the land and its history, and as I gazed at the hill of the thousand windows, could not help wondering what conversations were taking place inside those windows.
