While Albania was a new country for Susann, there was still a wish to explore Kosovo from my side. This small disputed country is just a short ride north from Skopje. I had actually looked at the possibility of a Kosovo excursion already when visiting Tirana earlier in the year. This time we had both a driver and an acceptable price for a trip to the capital of Pristina and the second city of Prizren. We were about the leave North Macedonia for a day and explore a new country.
Exploring Pristina, The Capital of Kosovo
We were picked up at the apartment in Skopje and drove north towards the border with Kosovo. Actually., it was the same driver who had taken us to and from Ohrid. The drive to Pristina from Skopje takes only about an hour and a half. Much of this distance was along the very modern new highway. Kosovo was going to surprise us with its very good and new highways. The streets of Pristina were, however, really busy upon our arrival in the city. What surprised us the most was the number of very high-end cars from Porche, BMW, and Mercedes. Most of these also looked really new, which is usually not the case in nearby countries.
Pristina’s center is really modern with plenty of cafés and restaurants. Yes, the city did look a bit more worn out on the outskirts of the city center. But exploring those parts had to wait until after a small lunch. We sat down at one of the restaurants and had a nice meal. What made this excursion even easier was the fact that Kosovo uses the Euro as its currency. Kosovo has actually been using the Euro as its de facto legal tender since 2002 without being a member of the Eurozone of the European Union. This is a unilateral adoption of the currency.
After lunch, we strolled around. We saw some small market areas and along some large roads. Eventually, we reached the NEWBORN monument. The letters have actually been re-arranged and today they form the abbreviation NONEWBR, for “no new broken republic”. The monument was unveiled on the same day that Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. The monument has since been painted in several ways, including a design with several flags. Pristina had turned out to be a city we can really consider a return visit to.
A Stop in Prizren, the Second City of Kosovo
Another hour of driving, this time to the southwest, from Pristina, is the town of Prizren. This is the second most populated city in Kosovo and used to be its historical capital. Once we reached Prizren the temperature was about to reach its peak for the day. This was really going to be one of the hottest days that we encountered during 2023. Once we finally walked along the streets of the city we were mostly looking for refreshments. Our target for the visit had, however, not changed. We wanted to reach the top of the nearby hill and the Prizren Fortress.
To not waste too much time we began our climb towards the fortress. There were good signs from the center of the city, so we had no issues finding our way. The climb was however a bit more challenging than we had imagined as the road up the hill was really steep. The fortress dates back to the 6th century and it is not only the history that makes the climb worth it. It is the view once you reach the top of the fortress walls that is the main reward. It really feels like the whole country is beneath your feet when you stand here looking out over Prizren and the surrounding countryside.
Luckily it was easier to traverse the road downhill. And once we reached the central square we rewarded ourselves with lemonade and some time to relax. The city was crowded with mostly tourists. You could hear German, English, and even Swedish being spoken here. Especially at the old stone bridge that together with the fortress has become a landmark in the city.
With our explorations coming to an end we were about to head back to Skopje. It had been a long and hot day and we were both really sweaty and tired. It was still interesting to see the countryside of Kosovo through the windows of the taxi. With stamps in our passports, we also had proof that we had finally been able to visit this young new nation in Europe.
Join us and read more about our Balkan adventure here: Summer in Macedonia 2023
