If you have a particular interest in architecture, you should definitely visit Berat (The thousand windows city) or Gjirokastra (The stone castle) both stone structures built on steep hills. Berat has been considered the centre of Southern Albania for many periods. Ruins of a citadel, several mosques and Byzantine churches make the town fascinating to explore.
Don’t forget about the raki-making home parties, which we can organize in local houses of the area, whose specialty is this strong alcoholic drink, the pride of Albanian men and women. Try not to overindulge though! In case you do, it could take a couple of days before you would be able to continue to Gjirokastra (UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List), birthplace of two of the most notorious Albanians worldwide; Enver Hoxha, the former Albanian communist dictator and Ismail Kadaré, the Albanian nominated for the Nobel Prize for literature.
