NEWS: 3RD PROMONT PARTNERSHIP MEETING IN BERAT (26-28 AUGUST 2025)

At the end of August, the PROMONT project partners met again, this time in Albania, in Berat, the famous “city of a thousand windows” declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The name derives from the fascinating Ottoman architecture that characterises it: white houses with numerous windows are built on top of each other along the slope of a steep hill. This fascinating location was chosen by the host partner, the Regional Centre for Development and Cooperation (RCDC), given its importance both as a historical and cultural centre and as a link between the city and the rural and mountainous area of Mount Tomorr, where the organisation operates.

Once again, the meeting lasted two days, during which the partners discussed the strategic and design aspects of PROMONT and had the opportunity to participate in practical demonstrations by the University of Thessaloniki (IHU), the project’s scientific partner.

The first day was entirely devoted to discussing and planning current and future project activities. Partners shared experiences and proposals, presenting the actions being taken at local level and the next steps. The focus was on the species to be monitored, the most effective tools for doing so and the involvement of local actors, a key element in ensuring that the actions are truly effective and responsive to the needs of the territories.

Moreover, IHU presented the progress status of the operational documents that are expected to be produced as deliverables of the first Work Package: the common methodology, the nature restoration best practices report and the multi-criteria analysis of human activities in the study area.

Finally, also the first steps of WP2 and WP3 were introduced by the respective appointed partners: RRA Green Karst and Adriatic Ionian Euroregion.

The second day was more dynamic, allowing the partners to discover some important places on Mount Tomorr and in the city of Berat. The partners left the city centre to reach a more rural area, where they first participated in a workshop dedicated to local stakeholders and then in a practical demonstration. Here, some of the equipment for monitoring the identified species was tested, namely drones, offering everyone a concrete opportunity to experiment in the field with what had been discussed the previous day.

In addition, two sites of great importance to the city of Berat and its surroundings were visited, both representative of the extraordinary natural and historical heritage of the region. The first stop was the picturesque Bogova waterfall (Ujëvara and Bogovës), renowned for the clarity of its waters and the enchanting natural pools surrounding it, which the participants reached after a short walk.

In the afternoon, thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Berat, the group had the opportunity to visit the Berat Castle (Kalaja and Beratit), one of the oldest in the country, which dominates the city and the Osum River from the top of a rocky hill. Inside the citadel, the visit continued to the Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of St. Mary, for centuries the main place of Orthodox worship in the city. Today, the cathedral houses a precious collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, as well as works by Onufri, a famous 16th-century Albanian iconographer.

These visits offered the partners a richer and more complete view of the region, not only from a historical and cultural point of view, but also from a natural one. Coming into direct contact with what one wants to protect is an important stimulus, strengthening conviction and awareness in facing future challenges.

On behalf of the PROMONT project, we would like to thank our host partner RCDC and the municipality of Berat for their effort and commitment to the organization of this experience. The next partnership meetingwill be held in Slovenia in January 2026, where the partners will be hosted by the non-profit organisation RRA Green Karst.