April 2018: As part of a 10-day trip across Eastern Europe with my friends Jimmie and Frank, we spent two days in Kosovo. Given our limited time, I chose to visit Prizren instead of the capital, Pristina, because it was smaller and featured a well-preserved Ottoman-era old town that seemed ideal for exploration. I was also eager to visit Kosovo as one of the world’s newest countries, though it remains unrecognized by some United Nations (U.N.) members due to Serbia’s ongoing claim over the territory.

 

 

Kosovo

Kosovo is a mountainous country with a majority Albanian Muslim population, alongside a minority of Serbian Christians. It was once part of the former communist federation of Yugoslavia, but after Yugoslavia’s collapse, it became a province of Serbia. However, ethnic tensions between Serbians and Kosovar Albanians escalated into war in the late 1990s. Serbia, under Slobodan Milošević, sought to retain control over Kosovo, viewing it as a historically significant region due to medieval battles between Christian Serbs and Muslim Ottoman forces. The conflict led to allegations of ethnic cleansing against the Kosovar Albanians, prompting NATO intervention. As a result, Serbian forces were expelled, and Kosovo was placed under U.N. administration before declaring independence in 2008. However, its sovereignty remains disputed, with some nations, including Serbia, refusing to recognize it as an independent country.

Prizren

 

 

 

We flew to Pristina via Austrian Airlines from Vienna and, upon arrival, booked an old, rickety taxi at the airport. Since the airport was far from both Pristina and Prizren, we didn’t get a chance to visit Pristina or see its statue of President Bill Clinton, commemorating his role in Kosovo’s independence. Instead, we headed straight to Prizren, a smaller and more scenic city with a charming old town and historic forts perched on the mountain ridges overlooking the city.

During our stay, Prizren was bustling with locals enjoying the cafés and lively streets, creating a vibrant atmosphere. With two days in the city and no strict agenda, we set out to explore on foot, soaking in as much as possible. We stayed in a guesthouse right in the heart of the old town, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the energy and history of Prizren.

Ottoman era mosque in old city of Prizren

Medieval bridge in old city

One of the highlights was a random arcade we encountered with bumper cars where I had the opportunity to destroy my friend Frank by blindsiding him with my bumper car.

 

Bumper car sneak attack

On our hike up to one of the old forts on a mountain ridge overlooking the city, we passed through an abandoned Serbian neighborhood. Many of the houses stood in ruins, their walls blackened by fire, and a church lay partially destroyed. I later learned that the devastation had occurred during the war.

Damaged Serbian Church from the war

Some churches were still in use, and we took the opportunity to visit them. We also explored an old mosque, where we observed worshippers engaged in prayer.

Old Church

Old Church

We visited the historical Ottoman-era mosques that are must-see in the old city. But the highlight was climbing to the top of Prizren Fortress, also known as Kalaja e Prizrenit. Dating back to the Byzantine era and later expanded during Ottoman rule, it offered sweeping views of the city, especially at sunset.

Dome of a mosque

Ottoman era mosque

View of Prizren during sunset from the old Ottoman era fort overlooking the city

I didn’t get to see much of Kosovo, but from what I experienced, it seems like the country is successfully moving past the war and carving out its place in modern Europe. I enjoyed my short time there and wished I had more time to hike in the wild, rugged mountains we saw from Prizren. After two days, we took a taxi back to the airport in the evening and flew back to Vienna, bringing our brief but memorable visit to Kosovo to an end.

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