Pristina, Kosovo

I’m off to Pristina in September for work and am very excited about this. Please share any tips you have. I am going to book a couple of days either side of the work thing so will hopefully have some time to explore a little.

Just here to remind everyone there is a bear sanctuary. In case anyone forgot.

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YES! This is definitely on the list.

I always wanted to go to Pristina because it just sounds so beautiful. Then we went there…

I’m not gonna lie, it’s not the most beautiful of cities and, tbh, there’s not that much to do.

I would recommend doing a walking tour, which will take you to all the main highlights of the city - Ethnographic Museum, National Library, Mother Teresa Cathedral, Bill Clinton statue, Fatih Mosque. It’s a very small city, so all the main attractions are all within a 15 minute walk. It’s a city you can do in a day, it really is. Food-wise I recommend Symphony. Lovely little restaurant that serves traditional Balkans food. There’s a bear sanctuary about 15 miles outside of Pristina. We didn’t go but that’s supposed to be quite good.

My advice is to travel out of Pristina. Prizren is the jewel of Kosovo. It’s just stunning. Peja is worth visiting as well. It’s surrounded by beautiful countryside and there’s some lovely walks around that area, plus the Serbian orthodox monastery complex on the outskirts is well worth visiting.

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This is brilliant, thank you! How easy is it to travel to other towns/cities? is there good rail or bus options or would you recommend hiring a car?

Rail travel, like in much of the rest of the Balkans, is nonexistent in Kosovo. I really wanted to travel to Peja by train but there was only one train a day and on the day we went it was cancelled!

The bus station is about a 15/20 minute walk from the Mother Teresa Cathedral just off Bill Clinton boulevard - they love Bill Clinton in Kosovo - and the bus network is comprehensive and reliable. It’s how people travel in Kosovo. You’ll be able to get to anywhere within Kosovo from there very easily and cheaply.

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Yeah I’ve seen photos of the Bill Clinton statue!

That’s super helpful, thank you. It seems the bus is the best option so I’ll look into that.

I hope you enjoy your time in Kosovo. It’s like Albania on steroids - never seen so many Albanian flags! Being only 14 years old there’s a real frenetic energy going on.

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Just bumping this as I’m off to Pristina next month!

There’s not really much to do there, I just wandered around for a few days.

I guess the Mother Teresa cathedral is cool, it’s very minimalist. Bill Clinton statue and the Newborn installation are your typical things to take pictures of, it’s worth a walk around the market (stalls packed to the rafters with cigarettes) and seeing the university library (world’s ugliest building), there’s a sad wall with pictures of missing people from the war.

I really can’t think of much else and I see it’s mostly been covered already!

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Thank you for this! I am going to be at the university so plenty of opportunity to see the library! :laughing:

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IIRC the university is close to the Bill Clinton statue and the cathedral, I definitely did them all in the same wander!

Was in Pristina a couple weeks ago, would agree it’s pretty limited in attractions unless you like big hulking brutalist buildings (which I do!). It’s interesting enough for a mooch about though and v cheap for meals etc

I went on a day trip from North Macedonia, I’d prob stay a couple of nights if I had longer to see what it’s like at night but I’d say expectations should be set reasonably low

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I absolutely love Brutalist architecture so this makes me very happy!

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I’m sure you’re well aware but tensions are currently very high in areas of Kosovo which are ethnically Serb. Steer clear of those areas and you’ll be fine - mostly in the north, which borders Serbia itself.

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Thank you for this, I appreciate it. I am aware and my work very nearly didn’t agree to find or insure the trip because of it. I’ll pretty much be solely in Pristina as I’ll be working mostly so will be away from the main areas of tension but I’ll ensure I’m aware whilst there.

Sorry, this should be a reply to @Zygotic

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So how was your experience of Kosovo?

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It was amazing! I had such a wonderful time. Everyone we met was so excited to share their country and its history with us and talk to us about their hopes for the future of the country. We attracted quite a lot of media attention as we hosted a large international event so that was quite surreal but nice at the same time. I absolutely loved Prishtina and had a great time sight seeing and just exploring. Made lots of doggo friends with the local strays. I also went to Prizren and for a meal up in the mountains and that was pretty special. I definitely want to go back as I didn’t have much free time due to this being a work trip, but it was really special.

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Glad you enjoyed your time there. It’s certainly a great little country, full of youthful energy and hope for the future.

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