Like never before, Berat has been overcrowded with both local and foreign visitors during these hot days of July.
The city’s castle receives hundreds of visitors from all over the world every day.
Over the past year, due to the considerable increase in the number of visitors, families living inside the castle have been converting their homes into service businesses such as hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants serving traditional dishes, which can be found everywhere within the castle walls.
One of the renowned restaurants, “Onufri” owned by Koço Plaku, has been in business since 1992 and has become one of the most popular establishments today.
“We offer traditional dishes like byrek, pumpkin with cottage cheese, stuffed peppers, okra, baked beans, and fergese for the spring season,” Mr. Plaku tells Euronews Albania.
In addition to cultural tourists who are drawn to Berat’s history and architecture, this year has seen an increase in younger visitors.
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have turned Berat into a preferred destination for young people.
“On TikTok, Berat is among the top ten cities to visit. It is the second day we are here, but we haven’t been able to see much due to the heat. From photos and videos, the place looks really nice, an experience to have, a place to visit. I wanted to see something I have never seen elsewhere. There is no such place in Italy,” an Italian tourist tells Euronews Albania.
Another Italian tourist mentioned that they discovered Berat and Gjirokastra through a video about UNESCO sites and decided to come to Albania to see the sea and the cities in general.
However, some tourists noted that one of the challenges for these businesses is the lack of credit card payment options, as most restaurants do not offer this service.
“The food is very delicious, but I have to pay by cash. The only problem I found is that you can pay by card in very few places,” he tells Euronews Albania.
In the first six months of the year, Berat has already welcomed over 500,000 tourists, and by the end of the year, the total number of visitors is expected to reach 900,000, making it the most successful year for tourism in Berat.
