What you need to know before visiting Berat
Berat is a rather compact place to visit and to be able to see everything you will probably need a day to see it all, with the morning spent at the castle, then lunch and some short exploration of the rest of the sights on the other side of the river.
If you stay overnight, Mangalemi Hotel is a great place to base yourself. It is central, it has character and it is charming. It is also very reasonably priced and has friendly staff. The rooftop restaurant is a must for dinner when it is romantic and scenic.
If you are driving from Tirana for the day, start early so you arrive by 10am or before. You will need about half an hour to make it up the steep path.
The castle opens 24 h am but there is no such thing as a gate. We arrived at 9 am, and simply walked in without paying the entrance fee. Nobody said anything and we paid the ticket on our way out.
The Museum opens until 2 pm in the winter except on weekends when it is open until 4 pm and until 6 pm in the summer months. It is well worth a stop.
Parking in Berat can be a bit of an issue since the city is really small so try to find a spot farther away from the path to the castle. There is also a public parking lot near the Ethnographic Museum. And be careful when driving, a little-known fact about Albania is that the drivers can be a bit aggressive.
Like with all of Albania, Berat is steep and made of irregular cobblestone or rocky pavement. This makes walking quite a time-consuming and intense effort as you need to watch where you step. Wearing appropriate footwear is essential for safety and comfort.
In my opinion, closed shoes with grip will make your life much easier. Sandals, shoes with thin and flat soles that have no grip or heels are a big no, you can easily slip and break a leg. Sunscreen and a hat are also a wise addition since the castle has practically no trees or shade. Bring a water bottle too.