Berat

Berat is Albania’s ninth-largest city by population and the seat of both Berat County and Berat Municipality.

Berat lies in the south of the country, surrounded by mountains and hills, including Mount Tomorr to the east, which has been declared a national park. The Osum River (161 kilometres / 100 miles long in total) runs through the city before joining the Seman River within the Myzeqe plain. Berat Municipality was formed under the 2015 local government reform by merging the former municipalities of Berat, Otllak, Roshnik, Sinjë, and Velabisht, which became municipal units, with the city of Berat as the seat. The municipality’s total population is 60,031 (2011 census), across a total area of 380.21 square kilometres (146.80 square miles). The former municipality’s population at the 2011 census was 32,606.

Berat was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and it features a unique architectural style shaped by the influence of several civilisations that managed to coexist over the centuries throughout its history. Like many towns in Albania, Berat has a fortified old town filled with churches and mosques adorned with a remarkable wealth of visible frescoes and murals. Berat is one of the country’s leading cultural centres.