Kosovo is a disputed territory and de facto independent country in South Eastern Europe, in central Balkans. After a lengthy and often violent dispute with Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in February 2008 and 110 UN states recognise this and it has become a member country of the IMF and World Bank as the Republic of Kosovo, despite heavy Serbian opposition.
Kosovo, though a secular republic, is largely Albanian-speaking and Muslim but there are also significant numbers of minorities living within its borders, especially Serbs. Kosovo's far north, along with two small regions elsewhere, have a Serb majority and are under local control. Kosovo borders Albania to the west, Montenegro to the north west, Macedonia to the south, and Serbia,from its perspective to the north east; the latter frontier is viewed by Serbia as being an internal boundary separating Kosovo as an internal province with Central Serbia.
While the legitimacy of the Kosovar government is disputed by many UN countries, from a traveller's point of view the Kosovar government has de facto control of most of the the country; local Serb authorities administer five municipalities in the north. This is not a political endorsement of claims by either side in the dispute.
The population of Kosovo is about 95% Albanian, who use the name Kosova in their Albanian tongue. Although the official name in English Republic of Kosovo is approved by Kosovo's Albanian-speaking authorities, the word Kosova still finds its way into the English vernacular of locals.
Many people in Kosovo can speak English and German; they are more than willing to help you and tell you their stories.
Kosovo is landlocked in the central Balkan Peninsula. With its strategic position in the Balkans, it serves as an important link in the connection between central and southern Europe, the Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. Its capital and largest city is Pristina, and other major urban areas include Prizren, Peć and Gjakova. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, the Republic of Macedonia to the southeast, Montenegro to the west and the uncontested territory of Serbia to the north and east. While Serbia recognises administration of the territory by Kosovo's elected government,it continues to claim it as its own Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, Kosovo became the centre of the Albanian national awakening. Following their defeat in the Balkan Wars, the Ottomans ceded Kosovo to Serbia and Montenegro. Both countries joined Yugoslavia after World War I, and following a period of Yugoslav unitarianism in the Kingdom, the post-World War II Yugoslav constitution established the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within the Yugoslav constituent Republic of Serbia.
Tensions between Kosovo's Albanian and Serb communities simmered through the 20th century and occasionally erupted into major violence, culminating in the Kosovo War of 1998 and 1999, which resulted in withdrawal of Serbian armed forces and establishment of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo. On 17 February 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia. It has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 111 UN member states, Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo as a state.
With the Brussels Agreement of 2013, it has accepted the legitimacy of its institutions. Kosovo has a lower-middle-income economy and has experienced solid economic growth over the last decade by international financial institutions, and has experienced growth every year since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2008.
The entire region is commonly referred to in English simply as Kosovo and in Albanian as Kosova.. In Serbia, a formal distinction is made between the eastern and western areas; the term Kosovo is used for the eastern part centered on the historical Kosovo Field, while the western part is called Metohija.
Albanians also refer to Kosovo as Dardania, the name of a Roman province formed in 165 BC, which covered the territory of modern Kosovo. The name is derived from ancient tribe of Dardani, ultimately from proto-Albanian word dardha/dardā which means "pear". The former Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova had been an enthusiastic backer of a "Dardanian" identity and the Kosovan flag and presidential seal refer to this national identity. However, the name "Kosova" remains more widely used among the Albanian population.
The current borders of Kosovo were drawn while part of SFR Yugoslavia in 1946, when the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija was created as an administrative division of the new Socialist Republic of Serbia. In 1974, the compositional Kosovo and Metohija was reduced to a simple Kosovo in the name of the Socialist Autonomous Province of Kosovo, but in 1990 the region was renamed the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija.
The official conventional long name of the state is Republic of Kosovo, as defined by the Constitution of Kosovo, and is used to represent Kosovo internationally.Additionally, as a result of an arrangement agreed between Pristina and Belgrade in talks mediated by the European Union, Kosovo has participated in some international forums and organisations under the title Kosovo with a footnote stating This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. This arrangement, which has been dubbed the asterisk agreement, was agreed in an 11-point arrangement agreed on 24 February 2012.
Inter-ethnic tensions continued to worsen in Kosovo throughout the 1980s. In 1989, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, employing a mix of intimidation and political manoeuvring, drastically reduced Kosovo's special autonomous status within Serbia and started cultural oppression of the ethnic Albanian population.Kosovo Albanians responded with a non-violent separatist movement, employing widespread civil disobedience and creation of parallel structures in education, medical care, and taxation, with the ultimate goal of achieving the independence of Kosovo.
In July 1990, the Kosovo Albanians proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Kosova, and declared it a sovereign and independent state in September 1992. In May 1992, Ibrahim Rugova was elected its president in an election in which only Kosovo Albanians participated.During its lifetime, the Republic of Kosova was only officially recognised by Albania. By the mid-1990s, the Kosovo Albanian population was growing restless, as the status of Kosovo was not resolved as part of the Dayton Agreement of November 1995, which ended the Bosnian War.
By 1996, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), an ethnic Albanian guerrilla paramilitary group that sought the separation of Kosovo and the eventual creation of a Greater Albania,had prevailed over the Rugova's non-violent resistance movement and launched attacks against the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police in Kosovo, resulting in the Kosovo War.
By 1998, international pressure compelled Yugoslavia to sign a ceasefire and partially withdraw its security forces. Events were to be monitored by Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers according to an agreement negotiated by Richard Holbrooke. The ceasefire did not hold and fighting resumed in December 1998, culminating in the Racak massacre, which attracted further international attention to the conflict.
Within weeks, a multilateral international conference was convened and by March had prepared a draft agreement known as the Rambouillet Accords, calling for the restoration of Kosovo's autonomy and the deployment of NATO peacekeeping forces. The Yugoslav delegation found the terms unacceptable and refused to sign the draft. Between 24 March and 10 June 1999, NATO intervened by bombing Yugoslavia aimed to force Milosevic to withdraw his forces from Kosovo, though NATO could not appeal to any particular motion of the Security Council of the United Nations to help legitimise its intervention.
Combined with continued skirmishes between Albanian guerrillas and Yugoslav forces the conflict resulted in a further massive displacement of population in Kosovo.
During the conflict, roughly a million ethnic Albanians fled or were forcefully driven from Kosovo. In 1999 more than 11,000 deaths were reported to the office of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. As of 2010, some 3,000 people were still missing, of which 2,500 are Albanian, 400 Serbs and 100 Roma.By June, Milosevic agreed to a foreign military presence in Kosovo and the withdrawal of his troops.
After the Yugoslav Army withdrew, over half of Kosovo's Serbs and other non-Albanians flew or were expelled and many of the remaining civilians were subjected to abuse.During the Kosovo War, over 90,000 Serbian and other non-Albanian refugees fled the war-torn province. In the days after the Yugoslav Army withdrew, over 200,000 Serb and other non-Albanians civilians were expelled from Kosovo and many of the remaining civilians were victims of abuse.After Kosovo and other Yugoslav Wars, Serbia became home to the highest number of refugees and IDPs including Kosovo Serbs in Europe.
In some villages under Albanian control in 1998, militants drove ethnic-Serbs from their homes. Some of those who remained are unaccounted for and are presumed to have been abducted by the KLA and killed. The KLA detained an estimated 85 Serbs during its 19 July 1998 attack on Orahovac. 35 of these were subsequently released but the others remained. On 22 July 1998, the KLA briefly took control of the Belacevac mine near the town of Obilic. Nine Serb mineworkers were captured that day and they remain on the International Committee of the Red Cross's list of the missing and are presumed to have been killed.
In August 1998, 22 Serbian civilians were reportedly killed in the village of Klecka, where the police claimed to have discovered human remains and a kiln used to cremate the bodies. In September 1998, Serbian police collected 34 bodies of people believed to have been seized and murdered by the KLA, among them some ethnic Albanians, at Lake Radonjic near Glodane in what became known as the Lake Radonjic massacre.
During and after the 1999 war, over three hundred Serb civilians who were taken across the border into Albania were killed in a Yellow House near the town of Burrel and had several of their organs removed for sale on the black market. These claims were investigated first by the ICTY who found medical equipment and traces of blood in and around the house.They were then investigated by the UN, who received witness reports from many ex-UK fighters who stated that several of the prisoners had their organs removed.
Chief Prosecutor for the ICTY; Carla Del Ponte revealed these crimes to the public in her book; Madame Prosecutor in 2008, causing a large response. In 2011; French media outlet; France24 released a classified UN document written in 2003 which documented the crimes.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) prosecuted crimes committed during the Kosovo War. Nine senior Yugoslav officials, including Milosevic, were indicted for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between January and June 1999. Six of the defendants were convicted, one was acquitted, one died before his trial could commence, and Milosevic died before his trial could conclude. Six KLA members were charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes by the ICTY following the war, but only one was convicted.
On 10 June 1999, the UN Security Council passed UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which placed Kosovo under transitional UN administration (UNMIK) and authorised Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led peacekeeping force. Resolution 1244 provided that Kosovo would have autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and affirmed the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia, which has been legally succeeded by the Republic of Serbia.
Estimates of the number of Serbs who left when Serbian forces left Kosovo vary from 65,000 to 250,000,194,000 Serbs were recorded as living in Kosovo in the census of 1991. But many Roma also left and may be included in the higher estimates. The majority of Serbs who left were from urban areas, but Serbs who stayed whether in urban or rural areas suffered violence which largely but not entirely, ceased between early 2001 and the riots of March 2004, and ongoing fears of harassment may be a factor deterring their return.
International negotiations began in 2006 to determine the final status of Kosovo, as envisaged under UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The UN-backed talks, led by UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari, began in February 2006. Whilst progress was made on technical matters, both parties remained diametrically opposed on the question of status itself.
In February 2007, Ahtisaari delivered a draft status settlement proposal to leaders in Belgrade and Pristina, the basis for a draft UN Security Council Resolution which proposed supervised independence for the province. A draft resolution, backed by the United States, the United Kingdom and other European members of the Security Council, was presented and rewritten four times to try to accommodate Russian concerns that such a resolution would undermine the principle of state sovereignty.
Russia, which holds a veto in the Security Council as one of five permanent members, had stated that it would not support any resolution which was not acceptable to both Belgrade and Kosovo Albanians.Whilst most observers had, at the beginning of the talks, anticipated independence as the most likely outcome, others have suggested that a rapid resolution might not be preferable.
After many weeks of discussions at the UN, the United States, United Kingdom and other European members of the Security Council formally discarded a draft resolution backing Ahtisaari's proposal on 20 July 2007, having failed to secure Russian backing. Beginning in August, a "Troika" consisting of negotiators from the European Union - Wolfgang Ischinger, the United States - Frank G. Wisner and Russia - Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko launched a new effort to reach a status outcome acceptable to both Belgrade and Pristina.
Despite Russian disapproval, the U.S., the United Kingdom, and France appeared likely to recognise Kosovar independence.A declaration of independence by Kosovar Albanian leaders was postponed until the end of the Serbian presidential elections - 4 February 2008. Most EU members and the US had feared that a premature declaration could boost support in Serbia for the ultra-nationalist candidate, Tomislav Nikolic.
In November 2001, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe supervised the first elections for the Kosovo Assembly. After that election, Kosovo's political parties formed an all-party unity coalition and elected Ibrahim Rugova as President and Bajram Rexhepi (PDK) as Prime Minister.After Kosovo-wide elections in October 2004, the LDK and AAK formed a new governing coalition that did not include PDK and Ora.
This coalition agreement resulted in Ramush Haradinaj (AAK) becoming Prime Minister, while Ibrahim Rugova retained the position of President. PDK and Ora were critical of the coalition agreement and have since frequently accused that government of corruption.
Parliamentary elections were held on 17 November 2007. After early results, Hashim Thaçi who was on course to gain 35 per cent of the vote, claimed victory for PDK, the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and stated his intention to declare independence. Thaçi formed a coalition with current President Fatmir Sejdiu's Democratic League which was in second place with 22 percent of the vote. The turnout at the election was particularly low. Most members of the Serb minority refused to vote.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. 111 UN states recognise its independence, including all of its immediate neighbours, with the exception of Serbia. Since declaring independence, it has become a member of the international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank,though not of the United Nations.
The Serb minority of Kosovo, which largely opposes the declaration of independence, has formed the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija in response. The creation of the assembly was condemned by Kosovo's president Fatmir Sejdiu, while UNMIK has said the assembly is not a serious issue because it will not have an operative role. On 8 October 2008, the UN General Assembly resolved, on a proposal by Serbia, to ask the International Court of Justice to render an advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence.
The advisory opinion, which is not binding over decisions by states to recognise or not recognise Kosovo, was rendered on 22 July 2010, holding that Kosovo's declaration of independence was not in violation either of general principles of international law, which do not prohibit unilateral declarations of independence, nor of specific international law – in particular UNSCR 1244 – which did not define the final status process nor reserve the outcome to a decision of the Security Council.
Some rapprochement between the two governments took place on 19 April 2013 as both parties reached the Brussels Agreement, an EU brokered agreement that would allow the Serb minority in Kosovo to have its own police force and court of appeals.The agreement is yet to be ratified by either parliament.
Kosovo has an area of 10,887 square kilometers.It lies between latitudes 42° and 43° N, and longitudes 20° and 22° E. The border of Kosovo is approximately 702 km (436 miles) long. It borders Albania to the southwest (112 km), Macedonia to the southeast (159 km), Montenegro to the west (79 km), and Central Serbia to the north and east (352 km).
Most of its terrain is mountainous; the highest peak is Đeravica with 2,656 m (8,714 ft). There are two main plain regions, the Metohija basin in the west, and the Plain of Kosovo in the east. The main rivers of the region are the White Drin, running towards the Adriatic Sea, the South Morava in the Goljak area, and Ibar in the north. Sitnica, a tributary of Ibar, is the longest river lying completely within Kosovo. The biggest lakes are Gazivoda, Radonjic, Batlava and Badovac.
The largest cities are Pristina, the capital, with an estimated 198,000 inhabitants, Prizren on the southwest, with a population of 178,000, Pec in the west with 95,000 inhabitants, and Ferizaj in the south at around 108,000.
39.1% of Kosovo is forested, about 52% is classified as agricultural land, 31% of which is covered by pastures and 69% is arable. Phytogeographically, Kosovo belongs to the Illyrian province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the European Environment Agency, the territory of Kosovo belongs to the ecoregion of Balkan mixed forests.
The 39,000 ha Sar Mountains National Park, established in 1986 along the border with the Republic of Macedonia, is the only national park in Kosovo, although the Balkan Peace Park in the Prokletije along the border with Montenegro has been proposed as another one.The Nerodimka river, near Ferizaj, is the only example in Europe of a river dividing with its waters flowing into two different seas.
Kosovo has a humid continental climate with Mediterranean and oceanic influences, featuring warm summers and cold and snowy winters. Precipitation ranges from 600 to 1,300 mm (24 to 51 in) per year, and is well distributed year-round. To the northeast, Kosovo field and Ibar river valley are drier with total precipitation of about 600 millimetres (24 inches) per year and more influenced by continental air masses, with colder winters and very hot summers.
In the southwest, climatic area of Metohija receives more Mediterranean influences with warmer summers, somewhat higher precipitation (700 mm (28 in)) and heavy snowfalls in the winter. Mountainous areas of Prokletije in the west, Šar Mountains on the south and Kopaonik in the north have a more alpine climate, with high precipitation (900 to 1,300 mm (35 to 51 in) per year), short and fresh summers, and cold winters.The average annual temperature of Kosovo is 9.5 °C (49.1 °F). The warmest month is July with average temperature of 19.2 °C (66.6 °F), and the coldest is January with −1.3 °C (29.7 °F). Except Prizren and Istok, all other meteorological stations in January recorded average temperatures under 0 °C (32 °F).
The flora and fauna of Kosovo forests is quite rich due to the exposure to Mediterranean climate through the White Drin valley.In that context, the Sar Mountains and the Prokletije are the two most important areas of the biodiversity. The woodlands of Sharr are habitat to 86 vascular plants of international significance, while the Prokletije house 128 endemic species. The flora is represented by 139 orders classified in 63 families, 35 genera and 20 species.
It has a significance for the entire region of Balkans – although Kosovo represents only 2.3% of the entire surface of Balkans, in terms of vegetation it represents 25% of the Balkans flora and about 18% of the European flora.The fauna is composed of a wide range of species due to its relief, ecological factors and geographic location. The forests with the greatest varieties are the ones located in the Sar, Prokletije, Kopaonik and Mokna.
The relations with Albania are in a special case, considering that the two countries share the same language. The Albanian language is one of the official languages of Kosovo. Albania has an embassy in the capital Pristina and Kosovo an embassy in Tirana. In 1992, Albania was the only country whose parliament voted to recognise the Republic of Kosova. Albania was one of the first countries to officially announce its recognition of the sovereign Republic of Kosovo in February 2008.
The relations between Kosovo-Albanians and Serbs have been hostile since the rise of nationalism in the Balkans during the 19th century.During Communism in Yugoslavia, the ethnic Albanians and Serbs were strongly irreconcilable with sociological studies during the Tito-era indicating that ethnic Albanians and Serbs rarely accepted each other as neighbours or friends and few held interethnic marriages.Ethnic prejudices, stereotypes and mutual distrust between ethnic Albanians and Serbs have remained common for decades.
The level of intolerance and separation between both communities during the Tito-period was reported by sociologists to be worse than that of Croat and Serb communities in Yugoslavia which also had tensions but held some closer relations between each other.
Despite their planned integration into the Kosovar society and their recognition in the Kosovar constitution, the Romani, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities continue to face many difficulties, such as segregation and discrimination, in housing, education, health, employment and social welfare.
Many camps around Kosovo continue to house thousands of Internally Displaced People, all of whom are from minority groups and communities.Because many of the Roma are believed to have sided with the Serbs during the conflict, taking part in the widespread looting and destruction of Albanian property, Minority Rights Group International report that Romani people encounter hostility by Albanians outside their local areas.
Until 2007, Kosovo was divided into 30 municipalities. It is currently subdivided into seven districts and divided into 38, according to Kosovo law and the Brussels Agreement of 2013, which stipulated the formation of new municipalities with Serb majority populations. These municipalities, 10 altogether, are in the process of forming a community encompassing approximately 90% of the Serb population in Kosovo.
According to the Constitution, Albanian and Serbian are the official languages of Kosovo. Almost 95% of the population speaks Albanian as their native language, followed by South Slavic languages and Turkish. Due to North Kosovo's boycott of the census, Bosnian resulted in being the second-largest language after Albanian. However, Serbian is de facto the second most spoken language in Kosovo. Since 1999, the Albanian language has become the dominant language in the country, although equal status is given to Serbian and special status is given to other minority languages.
The National Assembly adopted the Law on the Use of Languages in 2006 committed Kosovo institutions to ensuring the equal use of Albanian and Serbian as the official languages.Additionally, other languages can also gain recognition at municipal level as official languages if the linguistic community represents at least 5% of the total population of municipality. The Law on the Use of Languages gives Turkish the status of an official language in the municipality of Prizren, irrespective of the size of the Turkish community living there.
Although both Albanian and Serbian are official languages, municipal civil servants are only required to speak one of them in a professional setting and, according to Language Commissioner of Kosovo Slavisa Mladenovic statement from 2015, no organizations have all of their documents in both languages.
Kosovo is a secular state with no official state religion. The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and conscience.According to the 2011 Census, 95.6% of the population of Kosovo are Muslims though this seems inflated as 7 to 8% are Christians. These figures do not represent individual sects operating in the country such as the Sufism or Bektashism, which are sometimes classified generally under the category of Islam.3.69% of the population are Catholic and an equal number or up to 5% Orthodox. The Catholic Albanian communities are mostly concentrated in the cities of Gjakova, Prizren, Klina, and a few villages near Pec and Vitina. The Serb minority is largely Serbian Orthodox.
Christianity has a long-standing tradition in the country, dating back to the Illyrians and Romans. During the Middle Ages, the entire Balkan peninsula had been Christianized by both the Romans and Byzantines. From 1389 until 1912, Kosovo was officially governed by the Ottoman Empire and a high level of Islamization occurred. After the second World War, the country was ruled by secular socialist authorities in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
During that period, the population of Kosovo became increasingly secularized. Today, over 90% of its population are from Muslim backgrounds, most of whom are ethnic Albanians but also including Slavs,who mostly identify themselves as Gorani or Bosniaks and Turks.
According to the 2014 Freedom of Thought reports by the IHEU, the nation was ranked first in the Southern Europe and ninth in the world as Free and equal for tolerance towards religion and atheism.
The Economy of Kosovo is a transition economy. The nations economy suffered from the combined results of political upheaval, the following Yugoslav wars, the Serbian dismissal of Kosovo employees and international sanctions on Serbia of which it was then part. Since Kosovo's Independence in 2008, the economy has grown every year. Despite declining foreign assistance, growth of GDP averaged over 5% a year. This was despite the Global financial crisis of 2009 and the subsequent Eurozone crisis. Additionally, the inflation rate was low. The most economic development, has taken place in the trade, retail and construction sectors. Kosovo is highly dependent on remittances from the Diaspora, FDI and other capital inflows.
Kosovo's largest trading partners are Albania, Italy, Switzerland, China, Germany and Turkey. The Euro is the official currency of country. The Government of Kosovo have signed a free-trade agreements with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and the Republic of Macedonia.Kosovo is a Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) member, agreed with UNMIK, and enjoys a free trade within the non-European Union countries.
The secondary sector accounted for 22.60 of GDP and a general workforce of 800.000 employees in 2009. There are several reasons for this stagnation, ranging from consecutive occupations, political turmoil and the War in Kosovo in 1999.The electricity sector is considered as one of the sectors with the greatest potential of development.Kosovo has large reserves of lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt, copper, iron and bauxite.
The nation has the 5th largest lignite reserves in the World and the 3rd in Europe.The Directorate for Mines and Minerals and the World Bank estimated, that Kosovo had €13.5 billion worth of minerals.
The primary sector is based on small to medium-sized family-owned dispersed units.53% of the nation's area is agricultural land and 41% forest and forestry land, whereas 6% for others.The arable land is mostly used for corn, wheat, pastures, meadows and vineyards. It contributes almost to 35% of GDP including the forestry sector. Wine has historically been produced in Kosovo. The wine industry is successful and has been growing after Kosovo War. The main heartland of Kosovo's wine industry is in Orahovac, where millions of litres of wine are produced.
The main cultivars include Pinot noir, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Kosovo exports wines to Germany and the United States.During the glory days of the wine industry, grapes were grown from the vineyard area of 9,000 ha, divided into private and public ownership, and spread mainly throughout the south and west of Kosovo. The four state-owned wine production facilities were not as much wineries as they were wine factories. Only the Rahovec facility that held approximately 36% of the total vineyard area had the capacity of around 50 million litres annually.
The major share of the wine production was intended for exports. At its peak in 1989, the exports from the Rahovec facility amounted to 40 million litres and were mainly distributed to the German market.
Currently, there are two main motorways in Kosovo including the R7 connecting Kosovo with Albania and the R6 connecting Pristina with the Macedonian border at Hani i Elezit. The construction of the new R7.1 Motorway began in 2017.
The R7 Motorway,part of Albania-Kosovo Highway links Kosovo to Albania's Adriatic coast in Durres. Once the remaining European route (E80) from Pristina to Merdare section project will be completed, the motorway will link Kosovo through the present European route (E80) highway with the Pan-European corridor X (E75) near Nis in Serbia. The R6 Motorway is currently under construction. Forming part of the E65, it is the second motorway constructed in the region and it links the capital Pristina with the Macedonian border at Elez Han, which is about 20 km (12 mi) from Skopje. Construction of the motorway started in 2014 and it is going to be finished in 2018.
The nation hosts two Airports such as the Gjakova Airport and the only International Airport of Pristina. The Gjakova Airport was built by the Kosovo Force (KFOR) following the Kosovo War, next to an existing airfield used for agricultural purposes, and was used mainly for military and humanitarian flights. The local and national government plans to offer Gjakova Airport for operation under a public-private partnership with the aim of turning it into a civilian and commercial airport. The Pristina International Airport is located southwest of Pristina. It is Kosovo's only international airport and the only port of entry for air travelers to Kosovo.
The natural values of Kosovo represent quality tourism resources. The description of Kosovo's potential in tourism is closely related to its geographic position. Its position in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe represents a crossroads which historically dates back to Illyrian and Roman times. With its central position in the Balkans, it serves as a link in the connection between central and south Europe, the Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea. The mountainous south of Kosovo has great potential for winter tourism.
Skiing takes place at the winter resort Brezovica in the Sar Mountains. It offers perfect weather and snow conditions for ski seasons from November to May.
The New York Times included Kosovo on the list of 41 Places to go in 2011.In the same year, Kosovo saw a jump of about 40 places on the Skyscanner flight search engine which rates global tourism growth.
Kosovo is generally rich with mountains, artificial lakes, canyons and rivers and therefore also offers prime possibilities for hunting and fishing.Brezovica also includes three hotels with 680 rooms, two restaurants and nine ski lifts with a transport capacity of 10,000 skiers per hour. With close proximity to Pristina International Airport (60 km) and Skopje Airport (70 km), the resort is a possible destination for international tourists and has the potential to become the most desired winter tourism destination in the Balkans
Kosovan art was unknown to the international public for a very long time, because of the regime, many artists were unable to display their art in art galleries, and so were always on the lookout for alternatives, and even resorted to taking matters into their own hands. During the Kosovo War, many studios were burned down and many artworks were destroyed or lost. Until 1990, artists from Kosovo presented their art in many prestigious worldwide renowned centers.
They were affirmed and evaluated highly because of their unique approach to the arts considering the circumstances in which they were created, making them distinguished and original.
On February 1979, the Kosova National Art Gallery was founded. It became the highest institution of visual arts in Kosovo. It was named after one of the most prominent artists of Kosovo Muslim Mulliqi. Engjell Berisha, Masar Caka, Tahir Emra, Abdullah Gërguri, Hysni Krasniqi, Nimon Lokaj, Aziz Nimani, Ramadan Ramadani, Esat Valla and Lendita Zeqiraj are some of few Albanian painters born in Kosovo.
The cuisine in Kosovo is similar to the cuisine of the surrounding places (Albania, Montenegro, Greece), and has been significantly influenced by Turkish cuisine and Albanian cuisine. Common dishes include burek, pies, flija, kebab, suxhuk and other sausages, stuffed peppers, lamb, beans, sarma, burjan, pita and rice.Bread and dairy are important staples in Kosovar Albanian cuisine.
The most widely used dairy products are milk, yogurt, ayran, spreads, cheese and kaymak. Meat (beef, chicken and lamb), beans, rice and peppers are, likewise, major parts of the Kosovo Albanian diet. Vegetables are used seasonally. Usually, cucumbers, tomatoes and cabbage are pickled. Herbs such as salt, black pepper, red pepper and Vegeta are also popular.
Traditional Kosovan desserts are often made with sherbet, which is cooked sugar with either lemon or vanilla flavor. Baklava is one of the most widely used pastries in Kosovo. Another is Kajmaçin, which is composed of baked eggs, mixed with sugar and oil. Sheqer Pare is a pastry similar to baklava, as it is topped with sherbet.
Other pastries such as Kaqamak, Tespishte, Rovani, Tulluma and Pallaqinka are also a very popular breakfast foods in Kosovo. They are usually topped with Nutella, cheese, or honey. Shampite or Llokuma is served as a treat for children, and mostly as the first treat to guests on the days of Bajram.
Although the music in Kosovo is diverse, authentic Albanian and Serbian music still exist. Albanian music is characterised by the use of the Çifteli (authentic Albanian instrument), mandolin, mandola and percussion. Classical music is well known in Kosovo and has been taught at several music schools and universities,at the University of Prishtina Faculty of Arts in Pristina and the University of Pristina Faculty of Arts at Mitrovica). In 2014 Kosovo submitted their first film for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, with Three Windows and a Hanging directed by Isa Qosja.
The contemporary music artists Rita Ora, Dua Lipa and Era Istrefi, are all of Albanian origin and have achieved international recognition for their music.One widely recognised musician from Prizren is guitarist Petrit Çeku, winner of several international prizes.
Serbian music from Kosovo presents a mixture of traditional music, which is part of the wider Balkan tradition, with its own distinctive sound, and various Western and Turkish influences.Serb songs from Kosovo were an inspiration for 12th song wreath by composer Stevan Mokranjac. Most of Serbian music from Kosovo was dominated by church music, with its own share of sung epic poetry.Serbian national instrument Gusle is also used in Kosovo.
Viktorija, a singer from Vucitrn, is only artist from Kosovo who represented Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest as part of Aska in 1982. Some of Kosovo Albanians artists compete in the Festivali i Kenges, the national selection for Albania. The Kosovo Albanian singer, Rona Nishliu, ended 5th in the grand final in 2012 and Lindita will represent Albania in 2017. Some singers from Kosovo, especially Kosovo Serbs, participate in Serbian national selection organized by RTS. Nevena Božović represented Serbia in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 and, as member of Moje 3, in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013.
Sports marks an important way in the society of Kosovo. The most popular sports in Kosovo are football, basketball, judo, boxing, volleyball and handball. In December 9, 2014, the Olympic Committee of Kosovo became a full member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The nation participated at the 2015 European Games and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The most popular sport in the country is by far football. It was first codified in 1946. In 1922, the first clubs were formed such as the FC Gjakova and FC Prishtina. During the cold war era from 1945 until 1991, football in former Yugoslavia was advancing so fast that in 1946 it was formed the Federation of Kosovo, as a subsidiary of the Federation of Yugoslavia. FC Prishtina became the most successful club in the First Leagues of Yugoslavia, while KF Trepça was part of the league for one year.
In 1991, the first independent Federation of Kosovo were founded, after all football players, almost from Kosovo, were banned from the League in Yugoslavia. The first game was held in the stadium of KF Flamurtari on September 13, 1991 in Prishtina, which marked in the same time the start of the first independent championship in Kosovo. The governing body in the country, is mainly responsible for national team and the most main cup competitions.
The country ranked 58th in the 2008 Press Freedom Index report compiled by the Reporters Without Borders, while in 2016, it ranked 90th.
The Media consists of different kinds of communicative media such as radio, television, newspapers, and internet web sites. Most of the media survive from advertising and subscriptions. As according to IREX there are 92 radio stations and 22 television stations.
Pristina is an important fashion design, production and trade hub in the Albanian-speaking territories. Kosovo has been well documented for its success in global beauty pageantry at Miss Universe. Furthermore, Miss Kosovo is a closely followed event throughout the Kosovo. The first titleholder was Zana Krasniqi, who placed as a Top 10 finalist at the 2008 Miss Universe pageant. She is the first ever Kosovo-Albanian woman to enter and place in the contest finishing 6th, just two tenths of a point from the top five. The following year turned out to be another success for the Miss Universe Kosovo pageant: Marigona Dragusha placed second runner-up to Miss Universe 2009 in the Bahamas making her to be the first delegate from Kosovo to make it top the top five.
In terms of placements, Kosovo has been one of the most successful entrants into the Miss Universe pageant. Ever since debuting in 2008, Kosovo has missed the semi-finals only twice, in 2010 and 2014, beating many countries that have been competing for decades.
Katarina Sulkic from Zvecan became 2015 Miss Serbia and Andelka Tomasevic from Zubin Potok represented Serbia at the Miss Earth 2013 and Miss Universe 2014.
If you are interested in more than just seeing beautiful mountains and ancient ruins on your vacation to 'the region', Kosovo strongly recommends itself.
- The four Serbian Orthdox church complexes that make up UNESCO World Heritage Site of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo - three monasteries, in towns of Gracanica, Peja/Pec and Decani, and the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis in the city of Prizren. There are also many more Orthodox monuments of importance throughout the region.
- Hospitality as a sacred duty - anywhere out of the cities you will be welcomed into people's homes and treated royally.
- Beautiful countryside for walking with wonderful wild flowers.
- Nightlife and cafe culture in Prishtina, with the buzz that comes from Europe's youngest population.
- Seeing the UN and the international community in action (or not!) is quite interesting.
- You'll get a first hand view of more than 6 different cultures (Albanian, Serb, Roma, Ashkalia, Bosniak, and Turkish).
- You'll gain an understanding of what happens when governments allow industry to function when both environmental regulations and solid, defensible property rights are scarce.
- The Kosovars tend to be very friendly towards the UK and USA for its support of their independence (eg: they have a Bill Clinton Boulevard in Prishtina, as well as a large picture mural of him on the side of a building. They also are very friendly to Western European and Middle Eastern countries.
The climate is continental, with very warm summers and cold and snowy winters.
Cities of Kosovo
Prishtina — the capital; a lively city centre with some interesting museums and monuments. UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Monastery of Gracanica is located in the eponymous village southeast of the city.
Brod — one of the most spectacular mountain villages in the Balkans.
Ferizaj — local church and mosque are literally side by side.
Gjakova — although heavily damaged in the war, this city currently features the best nightlife in Kosovo by far, as well as trips to nearby lakes. The çarişa (market) has been renovated and is well worth several hours. It has tekkes of 7 Sufi sects and is home for two of them.
Gjilan — city with summer nightlife and close to Draganac Monastery.
Kaçanik — a peaceful and quiet town, with an ancient fortress.
Mitrovica — town divided into southern (Albanian) and northern (Serb) sides. The river dividing the city is the political and ethnic dividing line of the region.
Peja — town with much Ottoman and Serbian Orthodox heritage. UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Patriarchate of Peć is located in the eastern outskirts of the city, and another World Heritage Site, Monastery of Visoki Decani is located in the nearby eponymous town of Deçan to the south of Peja. Hub for outdoor sports in the spectacular surrounding mountains. The nearby Rugova Canyon is one of the outstanding areas of the country.
Prizren — Capital of the Serbian Empire in the XIV century, this is the most historical city of Kosovo, overlooked by a grandiose medieval fortress. UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis is located in the city. There is also a well-preserved Ottoman quarter. A town in which you may still hear Turkish spoken. It also houses the League of Prizren Complex.
Podujeve — A town in the northeast of Kosovo close to the administrative border with Serbia. It has about 75 surrounding villages hence having a lot of traffic. At night time it's bustling, and the cafes and bars are always busy.
Velika Hoca — Beautiful medieval village with a centuries-old tradition of viticulture near the town of Orahovac.
Kullas are traditional stone houses seen only in Kosovo and Northern Albania. Their design stems from the requirements of the traditional Albanian kanun code for hospitality and for murder to be avenged on the family of the murderer, resulting in blood feuds. A few of these defensible stone houses remain, including in the village of Isniq,where one has opened as a museum, and in the village of Junik and Dranoc near Peja where you can stay in a kulla overnight.
The village of Velika Hočc has 12 monasteries and churches, excellent wine and raki, and a homestay programme meaning there is accommodation in four restored old houses.
Novo Brdo Fortress is the site of a ruined castle with good walking opportunities nearby as well as homestay possibilities.. In May/June the hill of Novo Brdo Fort is covered in wildflowers.
Brezovicais a mainly Serbian village in the Strpce municipality in the South of Kosovo, close to the Sharr Mountains National Park. It is a popular winter destination due to its ski resort. It can also be an interesting place to visit in the summer too as it is an excellent hiking spot and the visitor can enjoy the beauty of the National Park and its surroundings. Prizren.
Gadime is a town just half an hour away from pristina that has an amazing network of caves that you can get a guided tour through.
Hajla is the highest peak in Rugova and very adrenaline place for climbing in winter.
Foreign nationals, subject to the Law on the Status, Immunities and Privileges of Diplomatic and Consular Missions and Personnel in Republic of Kosovo and of the International Military Presence and its Personnel, as well as foreign nationals, holders of UN Travel Documents, are exempted from the obligation of visa possession.
Foreign citizens, subject to visa regime application, but bearers of valid multiple entry Schengen visa may enter the Republic of Kosovo and stay up to 15 days without having to obtain a Kosovo visa.
Citizens of EU states, Albania, Monaco, Montenegro and Serbia may visit Kosovo for max 90 days with a valid biometric ID card. NB: Many ID cards, e.g. French, Greek and Austrian, are not biometric, so those nationals need a passport
For the list of country citizens who require a visa to enter Kosovo:
If you are planning to stay in Kosovo for more than 90 days you should, as in any other Balkan country, register at the Police Department for the Registration of Foreigners. This is is next to the central police station in Pristina. The 90 day rule for the registration of foreigners applies to everybody.
You can enter Kosovo through the northern border with Serbia through Kosovska Mitrovica or near Pristina. There are bus connections from Belgrade and Nis to Pristina and Prizren and from all the major towns in Serbia to the northern parts. Most used transport route is through the Republic of Macedonia and Prishtina airport.
Skopje is only one and a half hours from the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina. Travelling from Pristina to any other city of Kosovo does not take longer than an hour and a half. For instance, from Pristina to Prizren it takes an hour and a half, if there is no traffic, but the most that it will take is two hours. The distance to Pec is also similar.
Several European airlines offer direct flights from their hubs to the International Airport of Pristina
There are many direct flights from Germany, Switzerland and some Scandinavian countries, while the main connecting hubs are via Vienna (Austrian Airlines), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) and Lufthansa Group (via Munich or Frankfurt).
During the summer, several additional charter flights are available for travellers.
It is sometimes cheaper to fly into Skopje in Macedonia, which is approximately 2 hours drive from Prishtina. Although there is no direct public transport from Skopje airport to Kosovo, a one-way taxi will cost 60-65 euros. Prishtina-based taxi companies offer this service, including Taxi Victory Taxi Roberti.
From Montenegro, you can enter through Rozaje to Peja/Pec(approximately 2.0 hours). There are direct daily buses on the Prishtina-Ulqin/Ulcinj route, which takes approx 5 hours.
From Macedonia, you can take a bus from Skopje to Prishtina,approximately 2.5 h or Prizren.
From Serbia, there are direct buses on Prishtina-Belgrade route, taking approx 6 hours.
From Albania, you can enter through Prizren on the new highway. The trip from Tirane costs 10€ and takes 4 h, with two stops.
Elsewhere, there are a couple companies offering buses from Istanbul via Skopje, as well as Prishtina-Vienna route.
There are also two train lines crossing the Kosovo border: 1. Two trains/day from Kraljevo (Serbia) to Mitrovica operated by Serbian railways and costing 628 Serbian dinar; 2. One daily train from Skopje (Macedonia) to Pristina. There is a track from Mitrovica to Fushe Kosove west of Pristina, but it is currently not served by any trains.
To enter Kosovo, the validity and acceptance of the International Motor Insurance Card is in doubt. At the border you will need to pay €30 for an insurance extra which will cover you throughout Kosovo for two weeks Kosovo insurance Bureau has offices selling insurance at all border crossings. Ensure also that you have your vehicle registration and a power of attorney from the owner if the car is not yours. During the summer holidays in Germany and Switzerland expect long queues at the border crossing in Merdare (up to 10h).
At the border the European Motor Insurance/Green Card is not accepted, insurance for a short stay is €15. The roads are generally in good condition, and the standard of driving is typical of other countries in the Balkans. However expect large farm animals to be wandering the roads.
The best way to travel intercity in Kosovo is by bus. Buses are relatively cheap; Pristina to Peja is €4.00, for example. Within Pristina, rides cost €0.40.
Kosovan Railways are currently running the following passenger train services: from Fushe Kosove to Leshak,a town North at the Serb frontier three trains a day. From Fushe Kosove at 07.35, 11.18 and 14.15 and from Leshak at 09.55, 13.19 and 16.50. The train passes through most of the Serbian enclaves that are strung up through the northern part of Kosovo. The system is seen as a way of helping to make the lives of the Serbs in the enclaves easier but also as a way to help integration.
The service is free of charge to local people. Another service runs twice a day from Fushe Kosove at 04.17 and 19.00 to Hani i Elezit, former General Jankovic on the border to Macedonia, return journeys from Hani i Elezit starts at 05.53 and 20.44. A local suburban services runs from Fushë Kosove to Grazhanica with departures from F. Kosove at 05.40 and 19.17, returning from Grazhanica at 06.30 and 20.05.
There are two daily trains from Pristina to Peja/Pec which are a comfortable way to make this journey (€3) The service to Gracanica has been suspended, and the service Fushe Kosovo to Leshak seems to have been taken over by Serbian Railways between Zvecan and Lesak no trains between Fushe Kosove -Mitrovica
You can get a superb atlas of Kosovo from the OSCE that has detailed ethnic maps before and after the war, vital statistics, along with navigational maps. To get the map, ask for the NGO Information office near the OSCE building in Pristina.
Most people in Kosovo speak Albanian. Although almost everyone understands Serbian, it may result in hostile reactions from the mostly Albanian population. Though this is typically not so much of a problem in the southeastern portion of the country which retains a more significant Serb population and tensions are far lower. You can also just ask if someone speaks Croatian instead of Serbian,as they're in fact the same language.
English and German are languages that the majority of population speak especially by the younger population. Italian is also spoken but much more rarely than English and German.
The Turkish minority speaks Turkish and Albanian. Turkish is also spoken by some Albanians, especially the older generations.
Most people in northern Kosovo are ethnic Serbs, so Serbian will come in handy there. In the southeast the towns of Ranilug, Silovo, Strpce, Kllokot, Partes, as well as a few other villages surrounding Gnjilane have Serb populations as well. English and Russian are common second languages
- Peja is known as the City of Tourism, in western Kosovo, sits at the mouth of the Rugova Gorge and adjacent to the newly formed Accursed Mountains National Park. At the Tourist Information offices in the city center are open all year or on the road leading to Rugova open summers only, you can obtain maps of the historic sites, and information on everything from adventure sports in the nearby mountains to peaceful guest accommodations, and nearby attractions.
- Prishtina is the capital city of Kosovo. Places that should be visited in Prishtina is the quarter near the National Museum of Kosova. In addition to visiting the museum where a lot of archaeological artifacts are presented, in both ways when you exit, you see the old mosques, since the Ottoman Empire.
- Prizren. The most historical city in Kosovo, capital of the Serbian empire in the XIV century. It has plenty of beautiful examples of Serbian and Ottoman medieval architecture. UNESCO World Heritage Site - Serbian Orthodox church of Our Lady of Ljevis (XIV century) is located in the city.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site - Patriachate of Peć lies 2 km to the west of the Peja city center. It is the mother church of the Serbian Orthodoxy, and it was established in the XII century. It is a beautiful monastery with many spectacular frescoes.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site - Visoki Dečani Monastery is one of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is famous for its elegant and peculiar architecture. As an orthodox monastery from the XIII century, it successfuly mixes western and eastern church building elements to form a particular hybrid style only known on the territory of old Serbia. This monastery is particularly noted for some of the world's finest medieval frescoes adorning its walls. It is located near Peja.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site - Gračanica Monastery is one of the most beautiful examples of Serbian medieval ecclesiastical architecture. This monastery was built by the Serbian king Milutin in the Serbo-Byzantine style. It is noted for its frescoes, and being the only medieval Serbian monastery found in an urban setting complete with an old school and archives. It is located near Prishtina.
- Velika Hoca, a beautiful village with 13 medieval churches and a centuries-old tradition of wine-making.
- Waterfall Of The Drini River - Located north of Peja behind the Berdynaj village. During the summer, this place is fantastic, and the road to the river is an amazing, narrow road with wires on one side and the river on the other; this is a great part of Kosovo.
- The Rugova Gorge. The Rugova gorge is also to the north west of Peja and can be found by following the same road that leads to the Peć Patriarchy, and driving further. The canyon has extremely steep walls reaching possibly up to 300 metres.
- The Gjakova Old Bazaar. A very beautiful old "shopping centre" from 17th century. It was burned down during the war in 1999 and reconstructed recently. In the centre of the bazaar is an old mosque that was built in the 15th century.
- The Mitrovica Bridge. An interesting symbol of the division of the population in Kosovo. This bridge is the dividing line between Serbs and Albanians in Mitrovice/Mitrovica. It will almost always be safe to approach the bridge and look at it, although the French soldiers who guard it may not let you cross if the political situation is worse than average.
- The Roma quarter (mahalla) in Gjilan. Gjilan is located to the South East of Pristina.
- Brezovica Ski Centre - Old infrastructure but great slopes, located in Southern Kosova.
- Novo Brdo (in Latin documents written as Novaberd, Novus Mons or Novamonte; and in Saxon miners' documents as Nyeuberghe) was mentioned in the historical documents as early as 1326. Novo Brdo was a metropolis at the time, with a huge medieval fortress built on the top of an extinct volcano cone, the remains of which can be visited today, and residential sections sprawling all around. In the outer wall of the fortress, a large cross is visible, built into the stones. The castle dates back to the Byzantine Empire.
- Ulpiana, one of the oldest cities in the Balkan peninsula, is just 20-30 minutes away from Pristina towards Gjilan. It was re-constructed by emperor Justinian I.
- Mirusha Waterfalls on the eponymous river.
Visiting a coffee shop in Prishtina, having a macchiato and people watching is quite a popular sport in Kosovo - and you could also try it sometime.
Almost 11% of Kosovo's territory is protected as a National Park. In Europe, Kosovo comes only second to Iceland in this aspect.
- Sharr Mountains - is a mountain range in the South of the country, home to Sharr Mountain National Park and the ski resort of Brezovica. This region is very popular in the winter as a destination of skiers but also has a lot to offer in the summer as it is an excellent choice for hikers and nature lovers that want to explore its paths, peak, small lakes and forests. The remoteness of the area helps travellers to enjoy the environment in tranquility and peace.
The Peaks of the Balkans Trail will take you through three countries, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Albania. The trail is 192 km, can be started in any of the three countries, and its 10 segments completed in 10-13 days.
As such, Kosovo has an impressive array of mountains, which you can visit yourself - or with the help of some the Alpine/hiking clubs or guides in Kosovo.
- Rugova Guide - offers hiking and adventure tours in Rugova & climbing VIA FERRATA. The company is based in the western town of Peja or Pec. Services are offered in English and Albanian. You can book different tours with them the cost is from euro 15 and higher. Price per person is normally 15 euros, which includes transport, although it depends also on the distance of the mountain, thay own Log Cabins in Rugova for longer stays.
- Klubi Alpin Prishtina - is one of the oldest hiking clubs, with some guides that are internationally licensed as mountain guides, first aid etc. Their website has info on the mountains, but as of 15/11/15 it is only in Albanian. It is worth knowing that they organise at least one group hiking event a week normally Sundays, which is open to the public. The post destination details weekly on their Facebook page. All you need to do is call and reserve your place, they speak English. Price per person is normally 10 euros, which includes transport, although it depends also on the distance of the mountain.
- Balkan Natural Adventure- Is one of the leading companies in offering hiking and adventure tours in Kosovo. The company is based in the western town of Peja or Pec. Services are offered in English and Albanian. You can book different tours with them the cost is from euro 15 and higher. Other than daily tours the company organises also longer stays.
- Hiking njeri- normally organises one public hiking trip per week, on the weekend. You can check out for upcoming hikes, information provided in Albanian and English. . Price per person is normally 10 euros, although it depends also on the distance of the mountain.
- Klubi Alpin Dardania- is a group of rock-climbing enthusiasts who, in addition to organizing rock-climbing expeditions, spend a lot of their personal time building safe climbing paths, including one at the beautiful Mirusha waterfalls. Price per person is normally 6 euros, excluding transport.
Marimangat - based in Peja, close to the Rugova Gorge. They offer guided hikes, rock-climbing and climbing on via ferrata, the first of its kind in Kosovo - built together with the Alpine Club in Trento, Italy.
Kosovo has the euro (€) as its sole currency along with 24 other countries that use this common European money. These 24 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain (official euro members which are all European Union member states) as well as Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and the Vatican which use it without having a say in eurozone affairs and without being European Union members.
Together, these countries have a population of more than 330 million.
One euro is divided into 100 cents. While each official euro member as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican issues its own coins with a unique obverse, the reverse, as well as all bank notes, look the same throughout the eurozone. Every coin is legal tender in any of the eurozone countries.
The Serbian dinar is the official currency in the Serbian-ruled four northern municipalities as well as in larger enclaves with Serbian majority such as Gracanica and Strpce. Exchange offices are found almost everywhere.
Best restaurants to eat at are those that are located in the villages near by big cities; they tend to have the best meat dishes and the best sea food. Trout, seabass and salmon fish are very common and popular and are kept fresh in their pools and are nearly always fried when you order. Prices are pretty average and, for some European countries consider, cheap.
Lots of great burek (baked pastry stuffed with cheese, meat or spinach). Try the drinkable yoghurt (Ayran) - it's superb. Lots of kebabs and other Ottoman Turkish style food. As far as you are in an Albanian territory, you could try Albanian food as well. Fli, a very good pastry, that is similar to pie made of layers of crepes can be found in different traditional restaurants.
At the bakery, you can buy a fantastic loaf of bread for under €1.
The grocery stores have a plentiful supply of Western food.
Like many European countries, the legal drinking age in Kosovo is 18, but enforcement is lax.
Beer at Peja is a pretty good brew. It is brewed in Peja (Pec). Peja Premium is a slightly stronger beer from the same brewery but less widely available.
Kosovo is also home to an artisanal brewery called Sabaja, a joint venture between a home brewer named Alex Butler from New York City and his kosovar friends Etida and Genc Zeka. Sabaja produces several brews, including ales. Its still not available widely, but you can find it in most bars in central Prishtina.
Wine is also widely consumed when eating out, some local wine and also Vranac from Montenegro are the most common ones. Even though the Albanians are predominantly of Muslim heritage, drinking is quite liberal.
Raki is also another alcoholic beverage in Kosova. It is made from local fruits,the most common one is from grape and can be best described as a hard liquor similar to brandy. It can be quite strong so if you have a weak stomach or do not often drink liquor avoid this beverage. While raki is typically served in a shot glass it's meant to be sipped with mineral water or interestingly coffee.
Amongst Serbs, raki or rakija in Serbian is typically made from plums and commonly offered to guests. This is almost always homemade and a source of great pride by the one offering. While in other parts of the world there is good reason to be suspicious of homemade alcohol, in this part of the world no one wants to be known as the person who's raki/rakija poisons their guests. So often it's a safer bet to drink homemade rakija rather than factory made rakija.
When toasting local hospitality customs mandates that one cannot toast with coffee or water, but typically with some form of alcohol. If you do not wish to drink alcohol then ask for juice or soda which an acceptable alternative.
Yogurt/Ayran is also a common local drink and is consumed with pastry foods often Burek. Boza is also another common sweet drink drank with cakes and pastries.
Crème de la Crème, Mujo Ulqinaku (Peyton Neighborhood). 21:00-03:00; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Crème is probably the best all-round bar in the city. It’s run for the amusement of the young, arty owners and not for profit, which explains the more-than-generous pricing arrangements, especially for the perfectly executed cocktails. Its five tiny floors heave on Fridays and Sundays with Pristina’s cool to the variety of beats. €1-5.
The White Tree Terrace (Druni i Bardh'), Mujo Ulqinaku 15 (Peyton Neighborhood, behind Crème de la Crème). 08:00. It's a beach in the middle of concrete! It's a very cozy place, a good collection of beers and rakia (local spirit/liquor), very good music and nice urban people. It's also the terrace of a nice hostel. 23:00.
Accommodation in Kosovo can be expensive, meaning it is probably the same as hotels in surrounding countries,starts at €25 and goes over €100, and primarily designed for people working for development agencies. Your best bet for finding a place to stay is to look outside of Prishtina if you're with the car and to have a contact there ahead of time even if its just somebody you met over the internet and stay with them.
Or possibly contact some of the smaller development organisations, such as Balkan Sunflowers and online listing of Kosovo hotels, and ask if they can help you with accommodation staying in a rural community, or in the city for a higher price.
Try to find a motel,they are cheaper around 10€ or 15€ one night, and conditions are usually excellent. You can find one around any major city in Kosovo.
The White Tree (Druni i Bardh'), Mujo Ulqinaku Nr.59 (Just 5 minutes from the city center, Peyton Neighborhood). checkin: 12:00; checkout: 11:00. The freshly renovated hostel, inside bar with a restaurant designed by staff members, owners and guests, and the best terrace in Prishtina offer a place with a capacity of 20 people (3 private rooms, two 4 bed rooms and a 6 bed room), free WiFi and a computer, lockers, quality mattress and a cozy atmosphere.
Staff keep guests entertained with different activities, screening movies/documentaries, different jam sessions, parties with DJs, card games and chess, etc. Free welcome drink is included in the price. €10-35.
Buffalo Backpackers, 274 Musine Kokolari (next to the ambulance in Ulpiana),. checkin: 12pm; checkout: 11am. Located in the city center, great, young staff very passionate about Kosovo, breakfast included, Free Wifi and computer access, free coffee and tea, kitchen with cooking facilities, homemade raki and ice cold beer, large garden, exhibition room about Kosovo's history, XL jenga and Cornhole toss, fire pit, multiple balconies, luggage storage, lockers, lounge area and more! 10€.
Avoid getting too much into politics in Kosovo, although ask as many questions within reason as you like. They are very open about their hatred of each other and more than willing to tell you about it.
Don’t let the politics stop you from visiting; tensions have risen in a few moments in the past decade, but nearly all have been in the divided city of Mitrovica in the north of the country and with a 10,000+ NATO peace keeping force and a large international Police force, you are very safe from pretty much everything and the chance of a full out conflict is very low with such international supervision and even if one is to occur, all foreigners would be evacuated within 48 hours. You will most likely find peacekeeping soldiers from your own country to help you if you need it.
There are few physical or criminal dangers you need to worry about in Kosovo. People in general—both Albanians and Serbs—are extremely friendly and hospitable to tourists. Kosovo is a country that is used to having a vast amount of foreigners from all over the world: since the end of the war, there have been more than 200,000 international workers aiding and rebuilding around the country.
The corruption level is extremely low, thanks to the supervision of the EULEX international police, which means it is one of the only countries in Eastern Europe where bribery is pretty much unheard of,unless you have committed a major crime. It can be a different story between the police and organised crime, but this has nothing to do with regular people and tourists.
Use only registered taxis, as they have fixed fares and you will not get scammed. Unlicensed taxis are safe, but they will always scam you if you use the meter, so if you have to use an unlicensed taxi, make sure you come to a deal beforehand so the meter is taken out of play.
Even though homosexuality isn't illegal, it isn't recognized. Homophobia is somewhat of an issue; people don’t take kindly to homosexuals, but again, physical harm is not an issue unless you openly display affection.
As with many other rural and mountainous locations in the region (Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania), you may encounter a Sharr Mountain Dog guarding a flock of sheep or someone's property. The dogs are easily identifiable as being considerably larger than your typical stray dogs with a gray/black coast and wolf like appearance.
Sharr Mountain Dogs are very intelligent and very good at their guardian roles. If they see you with their owners they're typically very friendly, if not they can be extremely territorial. As a rule of thumb, if one is barking at you just give it plenty of room and walk around whatever it's trying to guard, whether it's a home or flock of sheep.
Like much of the Balkans, land mines were heavily used during the Yugoslav civil wars. Though this was a major problem in the country in the first four years after the war, now it’s a very rare that you encounter them; most suspicious areas are listed in local tour guide books in particular, the Central Kosovo countryside and Kosovo–Albania border region.
It's very safe to go hiking and camping — just ask before you do so to make sure it's not a suspicious area. Most hiking and camping takes place in areas where war did not occur, like the Sharr mountains, where there is a ski and camping resort.
Likely stolen to sell as scrap metal, one should keep an eye out for this potential hazard. Whilst not an issue on busy city streets, walking even a few kilometres outside downtown Pristina can be dangerous, particularly when walking in tall grass beside roads or pavements. Local residents use a small pile of sticks and stones to cover open sewer pits, and care should be taken not to step on these either.
It is possible for foreigners to obtain treatment at the public hospital in Pristina,staff from your accommodation may come in handy as translators. However, the state of the hospital is far from ideal: The toilets have no soap, infusions are hanging from improvised stands. Kosovo has no public health insurance system and you will be required to pay your bill in cash.
A visit to the doctor and a few pills from the pharmacy will cost you around 20 €. If you know what you need you may visit the pharmacy directly as no prescription is needed.
Don't pet dogs — stay away from them.
Whilst most are not aggressive when they are in packs, they can very well be, so make sure you stay away and don’t run away from them either as dogs chase you when you run; sometimes, the best defense is an attack so charging at them a little usually scares them away. But again, this is only a problem in the outskirts of the cities and at night, as during the day, you will hardly encounter them and they will stay away from humans.
There are direct flights from Pristina International Airport to London, New York City, Zurich, Geneva, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Vienna, Zagreb, Hamburg, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt,Podgorica, Munich, Stuttgart, Bremen, Rome, Milan, Verona, Ljubljana, Budapest, Tirana, Istanbul and Antalya. Soon, there will be direct flights to Sarajevo and other destinations.
There are direct bus links to most cities in Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Albania, Turkey, Macedonia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia.
Note that if you plan to go to Russia after Kosovo, you may encounter a bit of trouble entering the country as Russia considers the declaration of independence of Kosovo to be illegal.
Kosovo has 2 GSM mobile data providers IPKO and Vala. 2G GSM is on 900 MHz, 3G coverage is still limited on 2100 MHz and 4G/LTE is been rolled out on 1800 MHz only. Networks are limited across the country since speeds vary a lot and the infrastructure is not upgraded to support fast mobile internet use nor the large amount of users.
Tourism Observer
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