Prizren
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We didn’t even have time to put our backpacks down… The friendliness of the Kosovars is known far beyond its borders, and in our case this translated into a practically instant hitchhike from Pristina to Prizren. We drove along with a family that experienced the hardships of life, having toughened out the Kosovo War to subsequently be evicted from Germany where they sought a better life. Any other person would be broken or at least a tad bitter… but these wonderful humans simply continued to sprinkle their homeland with random acts of kindness, even directed at complete strangers they stumbled upon on the street. When we arrived they dropped us off in their favorite restaurant of Prizren, let the table be filled with food, apparently paid in advance and took off without even having a bite themselves.
At this point it didn’t even matter what Kosovo’s second most populous city had to offer, its inhabitants already made the experience into a memorable one.
At this point it didn’t even matter what Kosovo’s second most populous city had to offer, its inhabitants already made the experience into a memorable one.
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That said: Stunning Prizren, rising up on the banks of the Prizren river, graciously tucked between the rolling foothills of the Sharr Mountains, has in fact quite a lot to offer. It’s potentially the prettiest town of this very new country, with a history that nevertheless traverses many timelines. Archaeological research has shown that Prizren’s most prominent sight, the Fortress or ‘Kaljaja’, has known several eras of habitation since prehistoric times. Nowadays, its well-preserved and maintained remains provide the best view on the city.
During the reign of the Romans, Prizren geographically belonged to the eastern Byzantine Empire. It has long been thought that the city used to be the Roman stronghold Theranda, but this is still up to debate. From 1330 on, a sequence of Serbian Kings made their entrance into the territory, their rule being the trigger for the built of an intriguing series of Orthodox Churches*… If you open Trip Advisor, a lot of Prizren’s main sights listed are these churches and monasteries, however controversial that might be perceived as in the light of the rather recent Kosovo War. One of them, Our Lady of Ljeviš, is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site!**
* Other Serbian Orthodox churches: Monastery of the Holy Archangels, Church of the Holy Saviour, Church of the Holy Sunday – St. Mark, Church of St. Nicholas – Tutić Church, Hermitage of St. Peter of Koriša, Church of St. George, Orthodox Seminary of St. Cyrillius and Methodius.
** During the 2004 “Unrest in Kosovo”, when Serbian and Albanian Kosovarans violently clashed, many of these Serbian Orthodox churches were (partly) destroyed by rioters. This triggered the immediate anger of the Serbs, who in turn lit a series of mosques on fire. Many of the churches and monasteries have been restored since. Some of these monasteries, especially on the Sharr Mountains, were already heavily damaged earlier on by NATO bombing in 1999, during the Kosovo War.
During the reign of the Romans, Prizren geographically belonged to the eastern Byzantine Empire. It has long been thought that the city used to be the Roman stronghold Theranda, but this is still up to debate. From 1330 on, a sequence of Serbian Kings made their entrance into the territory, their rule being the trigger for the built of an intriguing series of Orthodox Churches*… If you open Trip Advisor, a lot of Prizren’s main sights listed are these churches and monasteries, however controversial that might be perceived as in the light of the rather recent Kosovo War. One of them, Our Lady of Ljeviš, is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site!**
* Other Serbian Orthodox churches: Monastery of the Holy Archangels, Church of the Holy Saviour, Church of the Holy Sunday – St. Mark, Church of St. Nicholas – Tutić Church, Hermitage of St. Peter of Koriša, Church of St. George, Orthodox Seminary of St. Cyrillius and Methodius.
** During the 2004 “Unrest in Kosovo”, when Serbian and Albanian Kosovarans violently clashed, many of these Serbian Orthodox churches were (partly) destroyed by rioters. This triggered the immediate anger of the Serbs, who in turn lit a series of mosques on fire. Many of the churches and monasteries have been restored since. Some of these monasteries, especially on the Sharr Mountains, were already heavily damaged earlier on by NATO bombing in 1999, during the Kosovo War.
During Serbian rule, the Old Town of Prizren developed into a trading hub for mainly Ragusan merchants (a Croatian Republic). It maintained this status when the Ottomans took over in 1455. Positioned on the north-south and east-west trade routes across the Ottoman Empire, Prizren not only prospered economically, but it also grew out to be the social and cultural heart of the area. The focal point of all activity took place on the Shadervani Square, which nowadays still forms the vibrant core of the Old Town. Local legend has it that when you drink from its famous fountain, you’ll fall in love with a local and will never leave Prizren. Good thing I wasn’t thirsty, I still have too much nomad-blood in me! Other reminders of the Ottoman occupation are the Stone Bridge*, the Hammam (now housing the Archaeological Museum & Watchtower) and a collection of tekkes and mosques, including the Namazxhahu Mosque, the Mosque of Syzi Celebisë and the grand Sinan Pasha Mosque (which was built with the bricks of the Serbian Monastery of the Holy Archangels).
* The Stone Bridge was destroyed by floods in 1979, but rebuilt in 1982 with some considerable adjustments.
* The Stone Bridge was destroyed by floods in 1979, but rebuilt in 1982 with some considerable adjustments.
An interesting site commemorating the (local Albanian) resistance against the Ottoman Rule, can be found at the Albanian League of Prizren Museum. I was initially there to quickly grab a Geocache, but soon became intrigued with the building itself. A building which was destroyed by grenades, thrown by the Serbian Police in 1999 during the Kosovo War… but nowadays restored to its original state. For a lousy 1 euro you can go in and see the modest collection consisting of some documents, ethnological artefacts and an art exhibition covering the time of the Assembly of Prizren, formed in 1878 to seek autonomy and unification of Albanians within the Ottoman Empire. You’ve seen it in 15 minutes, but it will be a pleasant 15 minutes.
After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, a century of wars was upon Prizren/Kosovo. During the First Balkan War, Kosovo was seized by and incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia, once again… even though the majority of the population was mostly Albanian. This didn’t proceed in the friendliest manner: approx. 5000 Albanians were slaughtered in the process. In this time, the Hydro Power Plant was built, nowadays also housing a museum. When WWI broke out, the Kingdom of Serbia was invaded by Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces, whereas in WWII the area fell into fascist Italian hands. During these Nazi times, Kosovo was annexed to the Italian puppet state of Albania. After the liberation (by Russian-Bulgarian forces), the communist government of Yugoslavia took control until its dissolvement in 1992, when all Balkan states became separate entities again… Kosovo however still forming a part of Serbia… until the Kosovo War.
Luckily, Prizren didn’t suffer damages as heavy as Pristina during this particular war, when the Kosovo -Albanian Liberation Army rebelled against Serbia in order to obtain their independence. That said, during these times, many Albanians were forced to leave their homes (mainly in the Tusus neighbourhood) and some 100 houses were burnt down. When the war was won due to heavy NATO bombing of Serbia, these Albanians returned to Prizren, whereas the Serbian minorities fled… after which much of Potkaljaja, the Serbian neighbourhood on the hillside, was looted and burnt down.
Sigh.
Prizren seems so peaceful at present, a flawless multicultural fusion. But underneath that pretty surface is a history of struggle and hate between the elements of a melting pot that will never ever blend.
After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, a century of wars was upon Prizren/Kosovo. During the First Balkan War, Kosovo was seized by and incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbia, once again… even though the majority of the population was mostly Albanian. This didn’t proceed in the friendliest manner: approx. 5000 Albanians were slaughtered in the process. In this time, the Hydro Power Plant was built, nowadays also housing a museum. When WWI broke out, the Kingdom of Serbia was invaded by Austro-Hungarian and Bulgarian forces, whereas in WWII the area fell into fascist Italian hands. During these Nazi times, Kosovo was annexed to the Italian puppet state of Albania. After the liberation (by Russian-Bulgarian forces), the communist government of Yugoslavia took control until its dissolvement in 1992, when all Balkan states became separate entities again… Kosovo however still forming a part of Serbia… until the Kosovo War.
Luckily, Prizren didn’t suffer damages as heavy as Pristina during this particular war, when the Kosovo -Albanian Liberation Army rebelled against Serbia in order to obtain their independence. That said, during these times, many Albanians were forced to leave their homes (mainly in the Tusus neighbourhood) and some 100 houses were burnt down. When the war was won due to heavy NATO bombing of Serbia, these Albanians returned to Prizren, whereas the Serbian minorities fled… after which much of Potkaljaja, the Serbian neighbourhood on the hillside, was looted and burnt down.
Sigh.
Prizren seems so peaceful at present, a flawless multicultural fusion. But underneath that pretty surface is a history of struggle and hate between the elements of a melting pot that will never ever blend.
In search of some true peace?
Go away from humans and move towards nature! Sharr Mountain National Park is just around the corner! It covers 532.72 km² of glacial lakes, rivers and pine forests, stretching all the way down to Albania’s and Macedonia’s highest point: Mount Korab. The area contains over 1800 plant species and a rich local fauna including the Balkan lynx, turtle, bear and chamois. Unfortunately heavy snowfall blocked the road and prevented me from a very desired visit/hike… but if you’re travelling outside of the winter season, you can get a cheap minibus in the morning at (allegedly) 7AM, 8AM and 10AM, departing from Marashi Bridge and headed for Prevalla (the bus back leaves at 4:30PM). However, different people mentioned different times, so it doesn’t hurt to verify this the day in advance.
Go away from humans and move towards nature! Sharr Mountain National Park is just around the corner! It covers 532.72 km² of glacial lakes, rivers and pine forests, stretching all the way down to Albania’s and Macedonia’s highest point: Mount Korab. The area contains over 1800 plant species and a rich local fauna including the Balkan lynx, turtle, bear and chamois. Unfortunately heavy snowfall blocked the road and prevented me from a very desired visit/hike… but if you’re travelling outside of the winter season, you can get a cheap minibus in the morning at (allegedly) 7AM, 8AM and 10AM, departing from Marashi Bridge and headed for Prevalla (the bus back leaves at 4:30PM). However, different people mentioned different times, so it doesn’t hurt to verify this the day in advance.
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Kosovo Facts
Short History Recap
[As Serbia] 1stAD: Romans. 6th: Slavs. 12th: Serbian control. 1389: Battle of Kosovo against Turks. 15-18th century: Ottoman Empire. 1689-’90: Austrian invasion repelled. 1817: Serbia Autonomous principality. ’78: Independence. 1912: Balkan Wars. 1918: Kingdom of Serbs-Croats-Slovenes after WWI --> ’29: Kingdom of Yugoslavia. ’45: Added Macedonia-Bosnia-Montenegro: Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under Tito. ’74: Kosovo self-government / autonomous status. ’80s: Milosevic president Serbia (pro-Serbian nationalism with regards to Albanians in Kosovo). ’91: Slovenia-Macedonia-Croatia-Bosnia out Yugoslavia. Rise nationalism & independence aspirations: bloody conflict Croats & Bosnian Muslims. UN sanctions Yugoslavia. ’95: Srebrenica massacre Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces. End Bosnian war. ’97: Milosevic president Yugoslavia. ’98: Kosovo Liberation Army rebels --> brutal crackdown. Serbs force Albanians ‘back’ to Albania. ’99: NATO air strikes against Serbia. Kosovo UN protectorate. ’01: Rugova president Kosovo. ’04: Violence Mitrovica (Kosovo-Serbia). ’06: Montenegro separates. New constitution Serbia: Kosovo integral part. War. [As Kosovo] ’08: Kosovo declares independence --> declared illegal by Serbia. EU takes over, policing Kosovo from UN. EU-application. Talks Serbia. ’13: Agreement with Serbia to normalize relations, granting high degree of autonomy in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo. Agreed to not block each other’s EU-attempts.
Kosovo Facts
- Capital: Pristina
- Language: Albanian / Serbian
- Population: ± 1.8 mln (Prizren: ± 94,500)
- Sq km: ± 10,887 (Prizren: ± 626.86)
- Currency: Euro (EUR - €)
- Electricity Outlet: F / 230V/ 50Hz. Check!
- Country code: +383 (029)
- Emergency Phone: 112 (general), 194 (ambulance), 193 (fire), 192 (police)
- Visa: Check out the visa requirements here. Serbia doesn’t recognize the border and doesn’t give a passport stamp, so if you enter Kosovo via Serbia you have to go back to Serbia to get your Serbian exit stamp. Macedonia, Albania and Bulgaria recognize the border, so you can commute to these countries via Kosovo… Don’t enter Serbia this way, as you will lack an entry stamp.
- Vaccinations: Hep-A, Hep-B, Covid (not checked).
- Climate Skopje: Humid continental climate (Cfb).
- High season: Summer.
Short History Recap
[As Serbia] 1stAD: Romans. 6th: Slavs. 12th: Serbian control. 1389: Battle of Kosovo against Turks. 15-18th century: Ottoman Empire. 1689-’90: Austrian invasion repelled. 1817: Serbia Autonomous principality. ’78: Independence. 1912: Balkan Wars. 1918: Kingdom of Serbs-Croats-Slovenes after WWI --> ’29: Kingdom of Yugoslavia. ’45: Added Macedonia-Bosnia-Montenegro: Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under Tito. ’74: Kosovo self-government / autonomous status. ’80s: Milosevic president Serbia (pro-Serbian nationalism with regards to Albanians in Kosovo). ’91: Slovenia-Macedonia-Croatia-Bosnia out Yugoslavia. Rise nationalism & independence aspirations: bloody conflict Croats & Bosnian Muslims. UN sanctions Yugoslavia. ’95: Srebrenica massacre Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces. End Bosnian war. ’97: Milosevic president Yugoslavia. ’98: Kosovo Liberation Army rebels --> brutal crackdown. Serbs force Albanians ‘back’ to Albania. ’99: NATO air strikes against Serbia. Kosovo UN protectorate. ’01: Rugova president Kosovo. ’04: Violence Mitrovica (Kosovo-Serbia). ’06: Montenegro separates. New constitution Serbia: Kosovo integral part. War. [As Kosovo] ’08: Kosovo declares independence --> declared illegal by Serbia. EU takes over, policing Kosovo from UN. EU-application. Talks Serbia. ’13: Agreement with Serbia to normalize relations, granting high degree of autonomy in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo. Agreed to not block each other’s EU-attempts.
FREE Recommended Sights / Activities*
PAID Recommended Sights / Activities*
* A relatively complete overview of all sights and activities can be found on TripAdvisor… the above lists include the ones I personally recommend. You can order your Lonely Planet here.
Evening Entertainment
Local Festivals
- Sights: Stone Bridge (Ura e Gurit); Sinan Pasha Mosque; Kalaja Fortress; Our Lady of Ljevis (UNESCO); St. George Cathedral; Hamam of Gazi Mehmet Pasha; Halveti’s Tekke; Church of Holy Saviour; Emin Pasha Mosque; Monastery of the Holy Archangels.
- Hikes / Nature: Sharr Mountains National Park.
PAID Recommended Sights / Activities*
- Museums: Albanian League of Prizren Museum; Archeaological Museum & Watchtower.
- Other: Filigran Workshop.
* A relatively complete overview of all sights and activities can be found on TripAdvisor… the above lists include the ones I personally recommend. You can order your Lonely Planet here.
Evening Entertainment
- Nightlife Areas: Old Town.
- Theatres: Prizren Theatre; Art Theatre.
Local Festivals
- Dokufest – August.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Supermarkets: Super Viva; My Market; Meridian Express; Dema Market; Ideal.
- Markets: Tregu i Gjelber Market.
- Local Dishes: Burek (Albanian börek), Flija (pie with pancake layers and yoghurt filling), Raznjici (grilled meat skewer), Cevapi (grilled minced meat), Sarma (cabbage rolls), Pljeskavica (hamburger), Punjene Paprike (stuffed paprikas), Tavë (lamb), Tavë Krapi (pot-cooked carp), Rakija (alcoholic drink).
- The Veg Situation: Going vegan is rather complicated in Kosovo outside of the bigger cities, however going vegetarian makes it much easier. Find all veg-friendly in this destination here. I recommend restaurant Noja.
- National Drink: Rakija (brandy).
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels: Kosovo isn’t too cheap in that regard, especially if you compare it to other Balkan countries. If you’re with 2 people or more, a private room is cheaper than a dormitory bed in a hostel. I personally found the best deals on Booking.com, which is generally cheaper than Air BnB listings here. Booking.com also has the biggest selection, is transparent about the final price and has an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs. If you use it often enough, generous Genius-discounts are applied. Agoda is often not transparent about prices, adding a lot of additional costs in the last booking-step. Opodo is a better alternative. Most municipalities charge a city tax. Writer's choice: Hostel Bushati, which I warmly recommend. Central, affordable, spacious rooms and friendly service.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). Prizren has a small Couchsurf-network. Alternatives are Be Welcome and Trust Roots.
- Housesitting: is an amazing exchange allowing you to stay short- or long-term in somebody’s house, while looking after their house and pets. There are many different websites, most of them paid… but once you landed a sit, the subscription fee pays itself back quickly. The main housesitting network is Trusted Housesitters.
- Wild Camping: is a bit of a grey area in Kosovaran law. Overall, the attitude towards wild camping is very relaxed, as long as you don’t pitch your tent on private land, stay clean and don’t stay longer than 1-2 days.
Mama Said
Transport
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- Safety: European cities like Prizren are generally safe, but use your common sense like everywhere. Don’t walk alone in remote areas after sunset, don’t take valuables along and follow your instinct when entering certain neighbourhoods further away from the centre. Keep an eye on your belongings in public transport, as pickpocketing is common.
- Tap Water: is drinkable.
- The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates without any extra fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. Keep in mind that all Kosovaran ATMs charge a high fee, on top of the conversion rates and your own banking costs. Therefore, if you can bring in euros from outside of Kosovo, do so.
- Simcard: Can be bought at the airport or at kiosks. You can ask the vendor to activate it for you.
Transport
- Walking: Prizren has a very compact city center and within an hour you have seen the entire old centre incl. the castle. No public transport needed.
- Cycling: Prizren is quite bicycle-friendly and renting a bicycle could be a fun day out.
- City Buses / Tram / Metro: There is no organised public transport within the city.
- Taxi / Uber: You can easily hail down a taxi on the street, or call one upon request. Like everywhere in the world, foreigners are prone to be overcharged: Negotiate the price in advance or make sure the meter is turned on, and double-check the route on a navigation app.
- Intercity Buses: The main bus station is located on Rruga Zara, at walking distance from the Old Town. It has lines connecting almost entire Kosovo, as well as many international lines. In the main hall above the ticket counter the most recent schedule can be found, which can differ from online information. Tickets can also be bought from the driver on the bus. Minibuses to Pristina leave from the main road of town as well. To get to Sharri Mountains National Park, get a cheap minibus in the morning at (allegedly) 7AM, 8AM and 10AM, departing from Marashi Bridge and headed for Prevalla (the bus back leaving at 4:30PM). However, different people mentioned different times, so it doesn’t hurt to verify this the day in advance.
- Train: There is no train station in Prizren.
- Airport: Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari (PRN).
- Hitchhiking: is relatively safe in Kosovo and also quite common. People in Kosovo are very friendly and will easily stop for a hitchhiker. To hitchhike to Prizren from Pristina, we took bus 1 from the centre into the direction of Posta. We got out in the curve of the main road towards Prizren and walked 3min towards a gas station, where we were picked up instantly. To get from Prizren to Mavrovo National Park (Macedonia) and onwards to Ohrid, hitchhiking is the only option… and this is only possible outside of winter season (due to heavy snowfall).
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