Getting to Pristina is difficult. From London, there are two direct flights per
week (BA). But if you are picky on which
day of the week you fly or have a mutli-leg trip, these become difficult to
take.
In my case, I flew via Vienna and spent 24 hours there
visiting a friend. It was a nice stop
over, primarily because I had already seen Vienna’s sites. Therefore, we spent the day dealing with the
heat by swimming in the Danube and having drinks along the river.
Kosovo
I can’t say Kosovo was every on any travel destination list
I had seen. In fact, most questioned why I would consider visiting Pristina,
along with my safety. I wasn’t
concerned, but will admit the only reason I booked the flight was because AJ lived
there.
Pristina is a very likeable city, but it is difficult to
describe why. It feels a bit random –
one block it is full of European cafes with people enjoying coffees and beers
at the outdoor tables. A few minutes of
walking down the street though and you wonder if you are in a third world
country – roads or buildings can be torn up, storefronts look thrown together,
etc.
Pristina isn’t a great representation of all of Kosovo though. It is worth a day trip to either Prizren or Peja. In my case, I took the local bus to Prizren and spent the day walking around the beautiful town. It has a number of beautiful mosques, a castle on top of the hill and it also houses the League of Prizren, the site of the 1878 organisation of political identity by the Albanians.
We also took a day trip to Mirusha, for a short hike to a nice waterfall to swim in. This was great, given that it was 40 degrees, but if you have seen great natural waterfalls and pools, I can’t say it was too impressive. That said, the fish restaurant along the way was a welcome addition – fresh grilled fish, nice cheese and peppers, and a good salad.
Overall, Kosovo is a country worth visiting. It offers friendly people (many of whom speak english), an affordable getaway (very cheap taxis, hotels, food and drinks), and some interesting cities to visit.
