Albania's Berat sees tourism-driven business surge

The “city of a thousand windows” continues to spark the curiosity of tourists throughout the year, with the cobbled streets of its castle and historical neighborhoods bustling with life even on this first day of November.

Tourists, especially foreigners, never leave without stopping in the historic city of Berat, Albania, which has become one of the most visited destinations in the country, CE Report quotes ATA.

For this tourist season, the most visited sites have been the Castle, Mangalem, and Gorica — along with the treasures these neighborhoods hold: museums, churches, and mosques.

The Director of Tourism and Events at the Municipality of Berat, Marius Çepele, told ATSH today that “from the beginning of January to the end of October, Berat was visited by 750,000 domestic and foreign tourists. Meanwhile, during the months of September and October alone, the city of a thousand windows welcomed 280,000 visitors.”

According to him, between January and October 2025, 85% of visitors were foreigners and 15% locals.

Tourists also show great interest in the city’s museums, where they learn about Berat’s history and cultural heritage — and much more.

“The number of visitors to the city’s museums reached 94,204,” said Çepele.

In addition to historical tourism, both domestic and foreign visitors are increasingly showing interest in nature and adventure tourism.

“Outside the city center, we have tourist villages with developed agro-tourism, Mount Tomorr, the Bogovë waterfall, the Osum canyons, and more,” Çepele noted.

Tourists now no longer stay just one day to enjoy the city’s beauty — they remain for several days. The expansion of tourist packages beyond the city, including villages with natural attractions and agro-tourism, has significantly extended their length of stay.

This is also reflected in the growth of accommodation facilities in Berat and its surroundings.

“In 2025, the number of accommodation structures in Berat increased significantly compared to the previous year. This is linked to the continuous rise in tourist flows, especially following improvements in infrastructure and the promotion of Berat as a cultural destination. More and more traditional houses have been transformed into guesthouses, inns, and apartments for tourists,” said Çepele.

He added that there has also been an increase in villas and agro-tourism facilities in the city’s outskirts and nearby villages.

The number of accommodation units grew by around 40–45% compared to 2024, reflecting the rising demand for longer stays in the museum city and surrounding areas.

“In 2024, we had 1 million visitors, marking a 35% increase compared to 2023. In 2025, there are 300 accommodation structures — hotels, guesthouses, and inns — or 25% more than in 2023. Meanwhile, in 2025, we have 10,000 beds available for tourism,” Çepele emphasized.

In Berat, Çepele added, there has also been a 93% increase in the number of businesses compared to 2023, a 45% rise in property values, and growth in the number of loans for tourism businesses, which now account for 65% of all loans in second-level banks.

The Municipality of Berat continues to organize various events that attract thousands of visitors throughout the year.

“In support of tourism, we also organize a package of events, with a yearly calendar that includes national and international festivals attended by around 35,000 visitors — such as the Summer Festival, Mangalem Shades, Christmas Market, December Festivities, Green Marathon, and village festivals like the Cherry Festival, Fig Festival in Roshnik, Olive Festival in Bilçë, Sinjë Festival, Firefly Festival, National Children’s Theatre Festival, and Summer Weekends in Berat,” Çepele said.

Berat preserves 210 museum objects, of which 150 are functional. Among them, 60 are Category I monuments, while the rest are Category II protected sites.