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Visiting Pristina, Kosovo

by Rachel_Paiste, 10/12/2009 04:10

Category: Trip Ideas

Kosovo, as the world’s newest nation, is off the radar for most travelers as a vacation destination.  The country offers everything that you seek, however.  The capital, Pristina, is full of excellent food, quality hotels and bustling streets, and the outlying lands offer rolling hills filled with historic fortresses, mosques and churches in addition to the living history of the fighting Serbs and Albanians.  And if you’re nervous about how you will be received as an American, don’t be.  This is the only country to date in which I’ve received genuine thumbs up for my ethnicity.
                The easiest way to get into Kosovo is by plane.  Tripology travel agents can help you find deals on flights to Pristina whenever you go, though it is recommended to visit during the summer months.
                Once you’ve arrived, head down to Bill Clinton Boulevard, the main avenue in the city.  A few blocks down the road, in front of the Grand Hotel lies the intersection with Mother Theresa, a native Albanian.  As you walk through the main roads of downtown you will come across a few landmarks.  The massive orange “Newborn” sign was erected in 2008 after Kosovo declared independence, and stands in front of the Youth and Sports building.   The library is a daunting metal structure with white cupolas donning the top.  Adjacent is an unfinished Serbian Orthodox Church (the barbed wire surrounding it one of the many reminders of the recent fighting).  The Kosovo Museum is worth a visit, as are many of the city’s mosques and bazaar.
                When your legs require a rest, join the masses at any one of the myriad coffee shops.  With unemployment rates sky high in recent years, they are always full of well dressed locals attempting to pass the time.
                Before you know it dinner has arrived.  As the city is packed with UN and other government officials, your options for eating are first rate.  Whether you choose to enjoy local delights or classic Indian, Thai, or Italian, there are eateries of all styles in Pristina.  And with over 50% of the population under 25, you can expect significant nightlife.
The city itself can be covered in a few days, though no Kosovo vacation is complete without some day trips.  Just 1-2 hours out lay the cities of Peja (Pec in Serbian) and Prizren.  The green, tranquil landscape of Peja will offer you a day in the mountains away from the starkness of Pristina, and Prizren offers an Ottoman charm hard to be beat elsewhere in Kosovo.
                If you are visiting Kosovo as part of a larger Balkans trip, have them stamp a carton instead of putting the Kosovar stamp directly into your passport.  It will save you loads of hassle later, though regardless of what’s stamped it is not possible to enter Serbia from the Kosovo border.

Filed under:  Balkans Vacation, Visiting Former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Trip Ideas
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