When planning a 15-hour road trip from Athens to Montenegro, you quickly realize that the journey itself needs to be part of the adventure. Driving for that long in one go can turn a dream vacation into an exhausting chore. So, looking at the map, we made a decision that turned out to be the absolute highlight of our transit: we decided to break up the drive and spend the night in Berat, Albania.

Here is why this UNESCO World Heritage site is the perfect fairytale stopover—especially if you catch it during the quiet, magical winter months.

Leaving Greece behind, the drive from the border into Albania was surprisingly pleasant. The roads were in great condition, while there were plenty of twists and turns winding through the landscape.

One of the biggest blessings of doing this road trip off-season was the border crossing. We barely waited at all. If you attempt this same route during the peak summer months, be warned that you could easily find yourself trapped at the border waiting for hours.

We pulled into Berat well after the sun had gone down. Arriving in a historic city at night has a unique charm, the modern world seems to fade away, leaving only the glowing silhouettes of the past. Eager to stretch our legs after hours in the car, we headed straight to our accommodation to drop off our bags and find a place to eat.

That evening, we wandered out into the crisp night air and found a small, traditional restaurant nearby. While the exact dishes we ordered have faded into the foggy memory of post-travel exhaustion, the cozy atmosphere, the rich local flavors, and the comforting setting of a traditional tavern were the perfect antidote to a long day on the road.

After soaking in the holiday cheer on the promenade, we crossed the river to the historic Gorica quarter. This is where the real time-travel begins. We spent hours simply getting lost in the labyrinth of tiny, narrow cobblestone alleys. The harmony between the local stone, the terracotta roof tiles, and the surrounding nature felt completely seamless, as if the town had naturally grown out of the mountain itself.

No mention of Berat is complete without its iconic bridges. We crossed the famous Gorica Bridge (Ura e Goricës), one of the oldest and most beautiful Ottoman stone bridges in the country. Originally constructed from wood in 1780 and later rebuilt in stone during the 1920s, its seven elegant arches gracefully span the Osum River.

Like many ancient structures in the Balkans, the bridge comes with its own dark folklore. Local legend says that the original wooden structure kept collapsing, and according to old superstitions, it couldn’t stand firm until a young girl was sacrificed and immured within its foundations to appease the river spirits. Today, thankfully, it is a peaceful, pedestrian-only walkway that serves as a beautiful symbol of connection between the city’s historically Christian and Muslim neighborhoods.

To wrap up our perfect morning, we found a hotel with a beautiful veranda on the Gorica side, looking directly out over the rushing river and the grand stone bridge.

We sat down for a slow coffee and ordered a plate of fantastic, fresh loukoumades (traditional fried dough puffs) served with local fig jam. Sitting there in the winter sun, eating warm dough dipped in sweet fig syrup while staring at a UNESCO-protected landscape, we realized that our “convenient overnight stop” had actually become one of the most unforgettable moments of our entire road trip.

Before hitting the road again toward Montenegro, our traditional mansion treated us to an exceptional, hearty breakfast that kept us fueled for the next leg of our journey.

If you are ever planning a long drive through the Balkans, don’t just rush through the highway. Make a detour to Berat. Whether you stay for a night or a week, its windows—and its hospitality—will stay with you long after you’ve crossed the next border.