Kosovo (Kosova in Albanian, Косово in Serbian) is a 1.8 million people partially-recognised country in the southeastern part of Europe, part of the Western Balkans. It intends to be part of the European Union (EU) and it's surrounded by Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia.
The population has a mostly Muslim tradition (although the Serbian minority are mostly Orthodox Christians). The
official languages are Albanian and Serbian
(with Turkish, Romani and Aromanian as
official languages where they have inhabitants who speak it) and the official currency is the euro (€). Kosovo is subject of territorial dispute with the Republic of Serbia, making it only partially recognised. The main city, and the
capital city, of Kosovo is Pristina, with other important cities like Prizren, Gjilan, Peć or Mitrovica.What can I visit in Kosovo?
History
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| Necropolis of Ulpiana |
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| Frescoe of Stefan Dečanski and Stefan Dušan at Visoki Dečani Monastery in Deçan |
The region was absorbed into the Bulgarian Empire in the 850s and was re-taken by the Byzantines after 1018, part of the newly established Theme of Bulgaria. The region often switched between Serbian and Bulgarian rule on one hand and Byzantine on the other, until Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja secured it by the end of the 12th century. Kosovo was part of the Serbian Empire when it was formed (1346) and during the 13th and 14th centuries, Kosovo became a political, cultural and religious centre of the Serbian Kingdom. In those years the seat of the Serbian Archbishopric was moved to Peć and rulers centred themselves between Prizren and Skopje. In those times thousands of Christian monasteries (some of the most important are combined as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo), forts and castles were erected, with Stefan Dušan using Prizren Fortress as the capital of the Empire. When
the Serbian Empire fragmented into principalities in
1371, Kosovo became the hereditary land of the House of Branković. In
the late 14th and the 15th centuries the easternmost
area (near Pristina) were part of the Principality
of Dukagjini and later was incorporated into an anti-Ottoman
federation of all Albanian principalities, the League of Lezhë.
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| Kosovo War by Petar Lubarda |
In 1389 took place one of the most important battles in Kosovo's history, the battle of Kosovo, in which Ottoman forces defeated a coalition led by Lazar Hrebeljanović and by 1459, Ottomans conquered the new Serbian capital of Smederevo. Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1455 to 1912, at first as part of the eyalet of Rumelia, and from 1864 as a separate vilayet (consisting of Kosovo, Sandžak region and parts of Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia including Skopje, its capital). During this time, Islam was introduced to the population. It is believed that Serbs likely formed a majority of Kosovo from the 8th to the mid-19th century but at least the western and central parts of Kosovo had an Albanian majority. Austrian forces occupied Kosovo during the Great War of 1683–99 but the Ottomans re-established their rule of the region. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch Arsenije III led thousands people from Kosovo to the Christian north, in what came to be known as the Great Serb Migration. In 1766, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate of Peć and fully imposed the jizya on its non-Muslim population. Albanian chiefs ultimately came to accept the Ottomans as sovereigns and there were mass conversion of Albanians to Islam, elevated the status of Albanian chiefs and expanded into a depopulated Kosovo as well as northwestern Macedonia.
In the 19th century there was an awakening of ethnic nationalism throughout the Balkans with ethnic tensions between Christian Serbs and Muslim Albanians. The ethnic Albanian nationalism movement was centred in Kosovo and the League of Prizren (1878), that wanted autonomy and greater cultural rights under Ottoman Empire. Albanian ambitions competed with those of the Serbs. The Kingdom of Serbia wished to incorporate this land that had formerly been within its empire. The modern Albanian-Serbian conflict has its roots in the expulsion of the Albanians (between 30,000 and 70,000 Muslims) in 1877–1878 from areas that became incorporated into the Principality of Serbia (mainly in the Sanjak of Niš).
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| Members of the League of Prizren |
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| Division of Kosovo vilayet after Balkans Wars (1913) |
In 1912 Sultan Abdul Hamid II was deposed and Young Turks took control of the government, supporting a centralised form of government, causing an Albanian uprising in 1912 in Kosovo and Novi Pazar, which led to an invasion by the Kingdom of Montenegro. A joint Balkan force (with Serbian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian and Greek forces) drove the Ottomans out of most of their European possessions and after the Ottomans' defeat in the First Balkan War, in the Treaty of London (1913), Western Kosovo (Metohija) ceded to the Kingdom of Montenegro and Eastern Kosovo ceded to the Kingdom of Serbia causing an exodus of local Albanians there were Serb settlements in Kosovo (as well as assimilation of Albanians). During World War 1 Kosovo was occupied by Bulgaria and Austria-Hungary and in 1918, the Allied Powers retook Kosovo. After it, the Kingdom of Serbia was transformed into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians. Between 1912 and 1941 a large-scale Serbian re-colonisation of Kosovo was undertaken by the Belgrade government and in 1935 and 1938 two agreements between the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Turkey were signed on the expatriation of 240,000 Albanians to Turkey (not completed because of the outbreak of WW2). After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941, most of Kosovo was assigned to Italian-controlled Albania, with the rest being controlled by Germany and Bulgaria, surging a conflict involving inter-ethnic, ideological, and international affiliations (although not at as high as during Kosovo War).
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| Map of Yugoslavia after WW2 |
When World War 2 was finished Yugoslavia recovered Kosovo, taking the current shape in 1945 as the Autonomous Kosovo-Metohian Area. There were also tensions between ethnic Albanians and the Yugoslav government (not only due to ethnic tensions but also regarding relations with the Stalinist regime of neighbouring Albania). After the passing of 1974 constitution Albanian nationalism in Kosovo rose (with the 100th anniversary of the League of Prizren) and in 1981 were the first protests by Albanians in Kosovo and Kosovar Albanian students of the University of Pristina organised protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia, brutally suppressed by the police and army. During the 1980s ethnic tensions continued to escalate (increasing theemigration of Kosovo Serbs and other ethnic groups) and in 1989, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević drastically reduced Kosovo's special autonomous status within Serbia and started cultural oppression of the ethnic Albanian population.
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| US marines in the village of Koretin (1999) |
In 1990 the Kosovo Albanians proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Kosova (officially only recognised by Albania) and Ibrahim Rugova was elected its president. By 1996 the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) 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, that escalated even more when Yugoslav and Serbian forces committed numerous massacres against Kosovo Albanians. By 1998 international pressure compelled Yugoslavia to sign a ceasefire and partially withdraw its security forces but as it was refused, NATO intervened by bombing Yugoslavia (aiming to force Milošević to withdraw his forces from Kosovo). War resulted in around 10,317 civilians killed (8,676 Albanians, 1,196 Serbs and 445 Roma) and Kosovo was placed under transitional UN administration (UNMIK) and authorised Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led peacekeeping force, having autonomy within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2004 the prolonged negotiations over Kosovo's future status, sociopolitical problems and nationalist sentiments resulted in the Kosovo unrest, that led to the destruction of many places linked to Serbia.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on 2008, becoming a member of the international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank though not of the United Nations because Serbia never recognised Kosovo's independence. The Serb minority of Kosovo, which largely opposes the declaration of independence, has formed the Community Assembly of Kosovo and Metohija in response. Some rapprochement between Serbia and Kosovo took place on 2013 with the Brussels Agreement, an agreement brokered by the EU that would allow the Serb minority in Kosovo to have its own police force and court of appeals (yet to be ratified by either parliament).
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| Countries that recognise Kosovo's independence |
Unforgettable experiences
This
places and experiences are a must if you want to discover and
understand Kosovo and all its situation. This is my top 3:
Pristina: the largest city in Kosovo and its capital city isn't the typical European capital with a lot of things to see because its history has been troubled. But Pristina has still a lot of things to do and, in fact, its atmosphere with markets, cafes and many people outdoors is one of the nicest in the Balkans. Pristina is the perfect introduction to Kosovo, its history and culture with a plurality of mosques and Serbian Orthodox churches.
Pristina - Peć: located in the western part of Kosovo, not far from Montenegro and Serbia, Peć is one of the most important places for Orthodox Serbs because it was the seat of its first patriarchy. From the visitor can discover the popular Rugova Canyon at Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery at Deçan.
Prizren: is the 2nd largest city in Kosovo (not far from North Macedonia) and one of its most multicultural ones, with a lot of Turks, Bosniaks and Roma people. Capital of Serbian Empire under Stefan Dušan, one of Ottomans's Kosovo vilayet most important cities and capital of Albanian nationalism in the 19th century, Prizren remains to combine religions, ethnicity and history that makes it one of the must-see in Kosovo.Prizren
Planning your holidays
These
are some possible routes you may do in Kosovo to visit parts of it
or discover it all.
Here are some possible tours:
a) 3 days tour
This short journey in Kosovo would begin on its capial city, Pristina. The visitor can enjoy there the different architectural styles that witness the different periods of Kosovar history, from Ottoman rule to Yugoslav one. But one of the most interesting things is simply enjoying the atmosphere and lifestyle of the city. After spending a day in Pristina you can go south, close to the border with North Macedonia, to visit Kosovo's 2nd largest city, Prizren. This multicultural city preserves much of its Ottoman style and a mixture of mosques and churches. On the 3rd and last day the destination could be Peć. It's a very important city for Serbian Orthodoxs because here it can be visited the Patriarchal Monastery of Peć, one of the first patriarchy of Serbia, and near Peć (in the town of Deçan) is located another very important monastery, Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery (both were placed in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004).
b) 5 days tour
This journey in Kosovo would begin on its capial city, Pristina, enjoying there the different architectural styles of the different periods of Kosovar history and
the atmosphere and lifestyle of the city.
The 2nd day could consist in having daytrips from Pristina to Pristina Bear Sanctuary, Lipljan and Gjilan. On the 3rd day you can go south, close to the border
with North Macedonia, to visit Kosovo's 2nd largest city, Prizren.
This multicultural city preserves much of its Ottoman style and a
mixture of mosques and churches. On the 4th day the destination
could be Peć, a very important city for Serbian Orthodoxs because here it can be visited the important Patriarchal Monastery of Peć (one of the first patriarchy of Serbia) and on the way to it, visiting Gjakova. In the 5th and last day the visitor can get in touch with nature visiting Rugova Canyon at Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and Deçan, where there's another very important monastery, Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery.
c) 7 days tour
This journey in Kosovo would begin on its capial city, Pristina, enjoying there the different architectural styles of the different periods of Kosovar history and
the atmosphere and lifestyle of the city.
The 2nd day could consist in having daytrips from Pristina to Pristina Bear Sanctuary, Lipljan and Gjilan. On the 3rd day you can go south, close to the border
with North Macedonia, to visit one of the least visited places in Europe, Sharr Mountains National Park, and the towns of Ferizaj and Kaçanik. From there you can go to Kosovo's 2nd largest city, Prizren, a multicultural city with a
mixture of mosques and churches. On the 5th day the destination
could be Peć, a very important city for Serbian Orthodoxs because here it can be visited the important Patriarchal Monastery of Peć (one of the first patriarchy of Serbia) and on the way to it, visiting Gjakova. In the 6th day the visitor can get in touch with nature visiting Rugova Canyon at Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and Deçan, where there's another very important monastery, Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox Monastery. In the 7th and last day the visitor can get deeper in the two worlds that fought in Kosovo Wars visiting Mitrovica, divided into North Mitrovica (ethnic-Serbian) and South Mitrovica (ethnic-Albanian) and then its surrounding area, including Vučitrn.
How can I arrive and move within Kosovo?
Kosovo isn't bad communicated with Albania, North Macedonia or Montenegro,
the neighbouring countries. However, and despite having a common
border, the connections with Serbia are difficult (mainly done from
North Mitrovica).
In case your route takes you to both Serbia and Kosovo take into
account that Serbia doesn't recognised Kosovo's independence and
therefore getting into Kosovo without entering from Serbia would be
considered an illegal entrance in the country and you'd probably be
banned for entering in Serbia.
- Plane: there are international flights to Pristina International Airport, the most important one in Kosovo, from many European cities. It's located 18 km far from Pristina.
- Train: Kosovo's railway system is quite slow, with not many destinations available and unfrequent trains. The main train station in the country is Fushë Kosovo, on the outskirts of Pristina. There are some trains to North Macedonia.
- Bus: this is the main and probably best mean of transport in all Kosovo (and along Western Balkans). There are frequent buses from Pristina to all the main cities and towns of the country and there are also connections among them (although less frequent). There are buses to Serbian cities from North Mitrovica and Pristina and frequent buses to Albania, North Macedonia or Montenegro.
- Car: this is almost always the most comfortable way of moving for the lack of timetables to follow. It's required to have a green card (International Insurance Card). Most of the roads in Kosovo are in good conditions but Kosovars drive in an erratic way so the visitor should pay attention to it. Renting a car here is easy but it's highly unrecommened to use to visit Serbia (not for the rest of the neighbouring countries) because it may suffer vandalism.
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| Train map of Kosovo |
What can I eat and drink in Kosovo?
| Tavë kosi |
Kosovan cuisine has been significantly influenced by Albanian cuisine and has adopted elements of other Balkan countries. Some of the most important ingredients are bread, dairy products, meat, fruits and vegetables. Common dishes in Kosovo include Ottoman receipes like kebab (qebapa) and sarma. Main dishes are the stars of Kosovar cuisine with dishes with a lot of international influence (very remarkably, Italian one) like lasagne or macaroni. Other important dishes are stuffed peppers, cabbage roll, tavë (dish with lamb chops), tavë kosi (baked lamb with kos yogurt), gjuveç (meat and vegetables stew prepared in the oven), pershut (cured meat) and qofta (Kosovar version of meatballs). A very important local dish is Tavë Prizreni (traditional regional casserole with lamb, eggplants, green peppers, onions and tomatoes) from Prizren.
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| Burek |
Salads are also an important part of the diet in Kosovo; for example, potato salad, bean salad, tomato and cucumber salad or dired nettle one. Other kinds of salad more traditional are tarator (summer salad with cucumbers, garlic and yogurt) and shope salad (tomate, cucumber, onions and white cheese salad). A variety of pies (trejte) are common all over Kosovo: kullpite (baked crust covered in yogurt), burek (pie made of pastry layers filled with minced meat, white cheese, spinach), bakllasarm (salty pie with yogurt and garlic covering) and other more conventional ones like pumpkin pie, spinach pie, cabbage pie (resenik), leek pie (purrenik) or nettle pie (hithenik). Kosovo isn't in touch with the sea so most of the fish consumed are freshwater fish like zander and carp. Around Gjakova it's popular tavë krapi (carp cooked on a pot with garlic, bay leaf, tomato, parsley) due to its relation with Shkodër.
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| Flia |
Some of the traditional desserts of Kosovo are baklava, flia (multiple crêpe-like layers brushed with cream and served with sour cream and honey), rice pudding, cremeschnitte (chantilly and custard cream cake), kek (cakes), havell (flour-based dense and sweet confections) or sheqerpare (Kosovo version of şekerpare). Kos (goat's milk yogurt) is very important too.
Talking about drinking, the visitor has to know the importance of the culture of coffee (kafe) in Kosovo, widely consumed and served everywhere. Another very popular drink is most popular traditional drink in Kosovo is rasoj (kraut juice) and some of the most popular local beers (birrë) in Kosovo are Birra Peja, Birra Ereniku or Birra Prishtina. There are other very traditional drinks like rakia (grape brandy alcoholic beverage), boza (refreshing drink made of maize and wheat flour) or ajron, a mix of yogurt, water and salt. The most popular wine (verë) is the one produced around Rahovec called vranac.
Talking about drinking, the visitor has to know the importance of the culture of coffee (kafe) in Kosovo, widely consumed and served everywhere. Another very popular drink is most popular traditional drink in Kosovo is rasoj (kraut juice) and some of the most popular local beers (birrë) in Kosovo are Birra Peja, Birra Ereniku or Birra Prishtina. There are other very traditional drinks like rakia (grape brandy alcoholic beverage), boza (refreshing drink made of maize and wheat flour) or ajron, a mix of yogurt, water and salt. The most popular wine (verë) is the one produced around Rahovec called vranac.
Useful links
Tourism in Kosovo isn't quite developed at the moment so you can't find online many official webpages related to the main destinations in the country. Here there's a list with some pages to get it:
