The following are our top picks of places to visit and things to do in Kosovo.
Rugova Canyon
The Rugova Canyon, or Rugova Gorge, is in the northwest of the country near Peja. There’s a road through the canyon that actually goes all the way to the border with Montenegro. Along the road there are stopping points where you can admire the views into the gorge, as well as waterfalls flowing within the canyon. At one stop you can walk town some stairs to the water’s edge. There are also rock cliffs hanging over the road as you drive along, including one narrow tunnel to drive through.
It was a beautiful drive.
Serbian Orthodox Monasteries
There are four monasteries in Kosovo that make up the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo World Heritage Site. They were built in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Due to tensions between Serbia and Kosovo these monasteries are protected by police and require ID to enter.
Patriarchate of Peć Monastery
We first went to Patriarchate of Pec near Peja, at the beginning of the road leading through the Rugova Canyon. When we arrived we had to show our passports to the Kosovo police before entering.
The complex is larger than expected and includes ruins of a 14th century palace and other churches. The red Monastery stands proudly within the beautifully maintained complex. The walls inside are covered in frescos with scenes from the bible. The frescos are in amazing condition for their age. Most of the walls are covered inside and very well preserved.
Visoki Dečani Monastery
We later visited the Decani Monastery near Decan. To enter this monastery you drive through a security barricade with guards, you can tell them you are visiting the Monastery. You drive a bit further and park near the entrance to the complex. Outside the entrance there is another set of guards. Here you will hand over your passports and receive a visitor badge.
This complex isn’t as large as the first one but the monastery is surrounded by old buildings (the former dormitory and the new).
The inside is very similar in style to the other, with painted frescos covering the walls. This one is larger and has higher ceilings. We spoke to a monk who provided information about the frescos and pointed some of the scenes for us. He them invited us to there guest area for drinks and snacks. We sat in the terrace with a lovely view of the monastery.
Our Lady of Ljeviš
Our Lady of Ljeviš is located in Prizren. This monastery is unfortantly not regularly open to visit. Groups of visitors can make arrangements to visit, and if you happen to arrive when a group is there you will likely be allowed in. We spoke to the guards outside of the Monastery and they said that they used to have a key and would let people in, but they no longer have the key, so prior arrangements have to be made.
So we were only able to see this Monastery from outside.
Gračanica Monastery
The last of the four Monasteries we visited was the Gračanica, located south of Pristina. We were surprised to find that this Monastery had no guards – the gate door was open and you could simply walk inside. The complex is smaller than the others that we visited, but the main church is just as impressive with frescos covering the inside.
Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside any of the monasteries so we can’t show you the amazing frescos.
Gjakova
One of our favorite towns in Kosovo was Gjakova.
This city used to be a major trading hub and has a bazaar to prove it! It’s one of the largest and oldest bazaars in the region. It is over 1km long and contains space for 500 small shops.
Many of the shops were fashion related – if you ever need a new dress or suit this is the place to go!!! We saw many shop windows full of glamorous gowns and the sidewalks were full of mannequins dressed in the finest suits!
Along with the fashion shops there were also souvenir shops, craft workshops, cafes, and restaurants.
The whole area had a wonderful charm to it! And this is especially amazing as the town was heavily damaged both the Balkan Wars (1912/13) and the Kosovo War (1998/99).
Bear Sanctuary Pristina
The bear sanctuary is located south of Pristina and was a highlight of our time in Kosovo. The sanctuary is home to 20 bears that were rescued from terrible situations. Now they have a safe home to live out the rest of their lives!
We were pleasantly surprised how many of the bears we actually got to see, considering how large their enclosures were. Each bear had an I formation board with details on when the were rescued, where they were rescued from, and a bit of information on their likes (or dislikes).
Before you begin the walking trail there is a photo gallery of the bears before and during their rescue. Their living conditions, as attractions at restaurants or in private homes, we’re absolutely heartbreaking. But thankfully Four Paws (the organization that rescues the bears) and the sanctuary have saved them from further torture.