Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17th, 2008. That being said, it is the second youngest country in the world and is recognized as a country by the majority of nations. We visited in November of 2020 for our 4th Anniversary.
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Transportation
- Adio Bus: To get to Pristina, we took a bus from the Nis Bus Station. We took a 9pm bus and the tickets were about $20 for both of us. This bus ride wasn’t as comfortable since it was a smaller bus but it was only a 2.5 hour bus ride. Something we thought was very interesting was crossing the border from Serbia to Kosovo. Since Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as their own country, we did not get an exit stamp upon leaving Serbia. This means if we did ever want to go back to Serbia, it would have to be using a different passport since it will appear we overstayed our visa. We planned our trip accordingly with this in mind.
Accommodations
- Boulevard Exclusive: This hotel was centrally located and it was a nice room for the most part. The only problem we encountered was a massive amount of mosquitoes inside the room, which was strange for it being November. It definitely made for a sleepless couple of nights. It was reasonably priced at least, 2 nights costing us $97.
To-Do
- Newborn Monument: These letters were unveiled on the day Kosovo formally declared its independence from Serbia. It is a historical symbol made of steel and it’s design changes every year to represent something new. The year we went (2020) it was “dedicated to all the victims of sexual abuse during conflicts around the world”.
This monument is definitely something we wanted to see as it is a crucial part of Kosovo’s history. We also think it’s incredible that they change it each year to represent something else that needs to be brought to the world’s attention.
- Mother Teresa Cathedral: This Roman Catholic Cathedral is not that old, only being constructed in 2007. It is one of the largest Roman Catholic Church in the Balkans and is dedicated to Mother Teresa, who lived in Kosovo for quite some time.
The inside was beautiful, with the woodwork and colorful stained glass windows. It was also very quiet and we saw a minimal amount of people while we were there. It was free for us to enter.
- The National Library of Kosovo: This enormous library is filled with over 2 million library items and includes 2 reading rooms, an amphitheater and a meeting hall. We wanted to take a peek inside since the outside architecture looked so interesting.
After walking inside, we stumbled upon what we think was the meeting room; it was circular with intricate tile and a skylight. Most everything seemed closed up, probably due to covid, so there wasn’t too much to see. It was still worth a stop though in our opinion.
- Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral: The construction on this unfinished church started in 1992, but due to the Kosovo war, paused in 1998 and has not commenced since. It is very controversial and the future of the church is uncertain. Located right next to the library, we couldn’t help but walk by it and it was a good history lesson for us after doing some research.
- Bill Clinton Statue: After the Kosovo War (1998-1999), the Albanians in Kosovo wanted to thank Bill Clinton for his help so they built a 10 foot high statue of him. The statue is located on a street called Bill Clinton Boulevard. Regardless of your political stance, we think it’s worth seeing, since it is a part of Kosovo’s history.
Right next to the Bill Clinton Statue, is a store called “Hillary”. It was opened in 2002 and is a women’s clothing shop that celebrates Hillary Clinton’s style. We didn’t go inside but just looked from the outside.
- Downtown Street Walk: After seeing the Bill Clinton Statue, we continued our walk in downtown Pristina and came across a walkway that led us through shops and restaurants. It led us to the Skanderbeg Monument, which was built in 2001 and commemorates Skanderbeg, the national hero in Albania for resisting the Ottomans.
We also came across a sculpture of what looked like people. We later came to find out that this was originally built in 1961 and was simply a bronze statue. It was then painted over in 2008 after Kosovo’s independence, meant to represent the countries who assisted Kosovo during the war.
Food
- Trosha Bakery & Cafe: This bakery was located right across from our hotel so it was convenient for us to stop here for breakfast. The inside was very cute and cozy.
For our drinks we ordered a couple of cappuccinos. The coffee was good, strong but not too strong.
For our food, we got a Nutella filled croissant for each of us. It was tasty, very light and flaky. This meal cost us a very reasonable 6.40 euros (about $7).
- Lily’s Pejton Cafe (previously Tres House): We stumbled upon this cute little cafe and stopped in for lunch.
For an appetizer, they brought us a board of cheese and olives. They were very friendly and gave this to us complimentary.
We had a red wine from Kosovo and it was very good.
For the main course, Jonah had a chicken penne pasta with a cream sauce. It was really good and the portion was generous.
Sierra had a penne pasta dish as well with vegetables, including bell peppers and tomatoes, also in a cream sauce. The same can be said for this dish as Jonah’s. The total with tip came out to $15.20 euros (about $17).
- Tandem Bar: For dinner, we found this bar, a short walk from our hotel. We were grateful to find something open, since this was during the time when many restaurants had a curfew.
For drinks, Jonah got a glass of Raki Rrushi brandy and Sierra got a glass of white wine.
Sierra got the avocado burger, which had cheese, tomato, lettuce, onions, and avocado. It was a decent burger, nothing that blew us out of the water.
Jonah got the tandem burger, which had cheese, tomato, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, prosciutto and house sauce. This burger was a little better than Sierra’s, with it having the prosciutto on it. Dinner came out to 17.20 euros (about $19) after tip.
Kosovo is a beautiful young country with so much history. We felt the independence and pride in their nation as we explored Pristina. We definitely recommend making a stop in Kosovo if you’re in the Balkans.
Loved your description of this country. It’s like being there with you.