Visitors have the opportunity to combine their sightseeing with trips to local wineries and tourist villages, all located within 10 km of the city center.

This makes for a more comprehensive experience, providing a compelling reason to extend a stay beyond a simple day trip.

Mayor of Berat Ervin Ceca told ATA that, “Between January and October of this year, Berat has been visited by over one million tourists. According to data from accommodation and service providers, the number of visitors has increased by approximately 15% compared to the same period last year.”

“Visitor interest is also reflected at the ‘Onufri’ Iconographic Museum, which recorded 100,000 visitors between January and the end of October. Located within the Castle, the museum preserves significant examples of Albanian iconography and serves as a major point of interest for tourists visiting the city,” said Ceca.

During autumn, seasonal produce—particularly grapes and olives—adds a new dimension to the tourist experience.

“Visitors can combine walks around the city with trips to wineries and tourist villages located just a few kilometers from the center. These options make for a more comprehensive experience and provide a reason to stay longer than just a single day,” Ceca emphasized. “Alongside the ‘Onufri’ Iconographic Museum, the Ethnographic Museum allows visitors to learn about the lifestyle, traditions and layout of a traditional Berat home through objects and artifacts passed down through generations. Beyond the historic center, the village of Roshnik serves as another compelling destination, where tourism blends with nature, local produce, and traditional hospitality. The Bogova area also offers opportunities for visitors seeking outdoor experiences, while the local wineries remain a highly recommended attraction during the autumn,” said Ceca.

Promoting Berat as a year-round destination relies on a diverse offering, in which UNESCO-protected cultural heritage, museums, historic architecture, a long-standing wine tradition, gastronomy and rural areas all complement one another.

Gastronomy, too, forms an essential part of the area’s identity. “Traditional dishes, olive oil, honey, fruits and products prepared by local families offer visitors the chance to get a close-up look at culinary traditions and the people behind their production. To extend the tourist season and boost benefits for the local economy, collaboration is essential—involving local businesses, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, wineries, agritourism farms, tour guides and local producers,” said Ceca.

The municipality contributes to promoting the city and creating the right conditions for tourism development, while coordinating activities with local businesses helps generate new opportunities for local enterprises and producers.

“The goal is to develop a tourism model that yields more sustainable income, supports local production and creates employment opportunities,” Ceca stated.

Furthermore, Ceca added, the Municipality of Berat aims to enrich its calendar of cultural and tourist events, ensuring that there are compelling reasons to visit the city in every season. /k.s/j.p/r.e/p.s./

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports Blendi Gonxhja highlighted the significance of Albania’s participation in this event appreciating it as an excellent opportunity to promote wine tourism, culture and Albanian hospitality on an international stage.

“Under the leadership of Franco-Albanian head sommelier Serxhio Prelashi, the “Albania team” proudly represented the wine tradition and the tourist potential of the country, highlighting Albanian wine destinations and the most prominent wineries”, said the minister.

During the event, there were presented authentic products from Albanian wineries that have made a name not only in the domestic but also international market. They were evaluated as concrete examples of the development of wine tourism in Albania, a sector that is experiencing sustainable growth and increased interest from domestic and foreign visitors. Minister Gonxhja noted that wine tourism is one of the strategic priorities for diversifying the tourist offer and extending the season, in line with the vision of sustainable development and the promotion of domestic products with added value. /r.e/a.f/p.s./

“Albanian viticulture and the production of quality wines have become a key sector for rural economic development and a symbol of the ‘Made in Albania’ brand,” said Minister Denaj.

Albanian wines are experiencing a surge in popularity, gaining recognition and acceptance in elite international markets, receiving prestigious awards and worldwide recognitions, affirming their place among the well-known global brands.

This development confirms a qualitative transformation in the agriculture and agro-processing sector, which is increasingly reflecting the export potential of Albanian products in European and world markets. /a.f/p.s./

The event also represents an excellent opportunity for Albanian wine producers to open new doors to export and international cooperation.

The Minister of State for the Entrepreneurship and Business Climate, Delina Ibrahimaj, visited Albanian pavilion on Wednesday and met with representatives of three wineries.

Wine production is an important engine for the economy and rural tourism, experiencing extraordinary growth in recent years, thanks to government investment and support, the expansion of vineyards and wineries.

Despite its current lack of fame on the global wine stage, Albania is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. Wine production is steadily growing, with much of Albanian wine being exported mostly to other European countries.

As Albania’s wine industry continues to grow, some of the country’s producers hope to reach a wider audience through tourism.

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Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Anila Denaj wrote in the social media about her meeting with Rigers, a representative of one of the most prominent wineries in our country, about whom “La Revue du Vin de France” carried an article.

“In the evaluation of red wines, “Kallmet Rezerva 2019” ranks with the highest points, 93 points, reminding us once again of the significance of cultivating Albanian autochthonous varieties”, wrote Denaj.

According to her, there are also other wineries evaluated with 88-92 points that operate in different areas of the country and represent the excellence of Albanian wine.

“This is a very good moment for Albanian wine and irrefutable proof that our quality production is entering the world map of the best wines. Being present in France, the country with the highest reputation in wine production, is not only a success, but also a clear message for the strengthening of domestic products alongside international ones,” wrote Denaj.

The minister highlighted the policies the government has pursued for development of the sector, such as the Wine Law and the Wine Commission will guarantee high standards, support for wineries and increased international competitiveness. /j.p/p.s./

“Have a taste of Albania through the taste of our wine. The Wine Tour, which gives color to the “Agro-tourism Tours” program, stopped to taste the wines of the “Çobo”, “Pupa” and “Alpeta” wineries, promoting a special experience of Albania, where viticulture and enogastronomy are treasures of our tourist offer, but also to appreciate the effort that farmers and wine producers go through to preserve autochthonous varieties and produce high quality wines”, wrote Kumbaro in the social media.

At present, viticulture and the production of quality Albanian wines has become a key sector for economic development and a source of pride for the Albanian “Made in Albania” brand. According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, during last year there are registered 10,178 hectares of vineyards and 9,822 hectares of vineyards.

The growth of the wine sector has come thanks to the support given by the government through the National Schemes in the course of years and the IPARD Program for increasing the surface of the vineyards, investments in technological equipment for the production process, increased certification of indigenous seedlings and support to participate at international fairs in elite markets. /e.i/a.f/p.s./

More and more tourists are being attracted during this summer season by the development that this sector has assumed.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Anila Denaj shared today in the social media the example of “Alpeta” agro-tourism, in Berat, which is regularly visited by foreign tourists this summer season, who, in addition to the beauties of nature, also enjoy the local products of the area.

The canteen in this agro-tourism welcomes local and foreign tourists who have the opportunity to taste quality wine and Rakia, accompanied by the taste of the traditional Albanian food.

“In Alpeta agro-tourism, where tourists are enjoying the extraordinary atmosphere of tasting wine and local products, authentic food and toasts with rakia, as the custom requires, all this under the sound of traditional songs and dances,” wrote Denaj. /p.s./

Ferry operator DFDS analyzed a whopping 20,000 Google reviews in search of words such as ‘beautiful’, ‘picturesque’ and ‘scenic’, and each one has been assigned a beauty score.

According to DFDS, the Abaia Winery and Vineyard in Albania is new in the Albanian wine scene. It started cultivating its vineyards on an area of ​​one hectare in 2019 and received the first harvest in the summer of 2021.

“A 20-minute drive from the coastal town of Durrës, the winery is located inside two bunkers built during the communist era. Guests can visit the bunkers to watch the wine ferment before exploring the vast vineyard”, wrote DFDS.

Abaia Winery and Vineyard, the Agency wrote, uses two types of grapes originating from Shesh village, the Black Shesh and White Shesh.

Both varieties of grapes yield good wine.

“The winery also produces Rakia, a traditional Albanian strong drink. The restaurant of the canteen opened in 2023, is the perfect place to enjoy the Albanian culture with loved ones”, the Agency wrote. /p.s./

Experts from all over the world, wine producers, wine tasters, but also passionate visitors meet in this international gastronomic event, to have a taste of wines, but also other specialties.

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro shared in the social media footage from the presentation video of this important activity and wrote that “Merano Wine Festival” is coming to Tirana, one of the most important international wine fairs with over 650 wineries, about 7000 visitors and 3000 operators and distributors from all over the world.

Kumbaro wrote that it will really be a festival in the New Bazaar this weekend, where the wineries of Albania and Kosovo come together promoting Albanian wine producers and the local product in the national and global market.

The several-year experience of the “Merano Wine Festival” will yield its fruit in Albania as well, serving as a catalyst for the diversification of this industry that is developing with a growing trend in our country./r.e/p.s./

Experts from all over the world, wine producers and wine tasters, but also passionate visitors meet in this international gastronomic event to have a taste of wines, but also of other specialties.

Mayor of Tirana Erion Veliaj held a meeting with the main organizer of this event Helmuth Köcher and emphasized the need to promote local products and cooperation with the relevant institutions, so that to turn this festival into a success story for Tirana.

Furthermore, the mayor of Tirana expressed his enthusiasm for the organization of the “Merano Wine Festival” and as an expression of gratitude he presented the organizers with a manual of the transformation of Tirana, in which he highlighted the city’s transformation works and projects.

For his part, Köcher expressed his belief that the several years of experience of the “Merano Wine Festival” will yield its fruits in Albania, as well.

“Also, a greeting from the city of Merano, with the wine festival, which I have created since 1992, i.e. 32 years ago. I am proud and satisfied that we are taking this experience forward here in Albania to create something really important”, concluded Köcher./k.s/p.s./