Europe's Newest Nation: Kosovo
After a short one hour flight, we landed in Pristina (pronounced, and sometimes spelled, Prishtina). Pristina is the capital of Kosovo, a self-declared independent country and Europe's newest nation. Gaining independence from Serbia in 2008, this small country can be crossed by car in any direction in about an hour.
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| Flying into Kosovo. |
However, some countries still don't recognize Kosovo's independence. When I pulled up Google Maps in Kosovo, it said we were in Serbia. When I tried to input "Kosovo National Library", nothing came up. I checked my weather app, and for the first time ever I saw only coordinates listed... No city name.
Upon landing, we went to the Gračanica Monastery. This is one of four UNESCO medieval monuments in Kosovo located southeast of Pristina. Completed in 1321 by Serbian King Milutin, this oasis is in a town that is the cultural center of Serbs in central Kosovo.
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| The outside of Gračanica Monastery. |
A late-Byzantine architectural masterpiece, the Gračanica Monastery was the last monastery constructed by King Stefan Milutin, who had promised God that he would build a church for each of the 40 years of his reign. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed on the inside (like many churches in this region), but the intricately decorated church was completed over three years, from 1318 to 1321 by two artists from Thessaloniki.
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Known by some as "Serbia's Jerusalem" because of the important medieval monasteries, Kosovo is a mix of Albanians, Serbs, and a few other ethnic groups. But that is not to say there isn't a complicated history like many of the Balkan nations. In the 1990s, Serbs were trying to ethnically cleanse Kosovo of its 2 million Albanian inhabitants. Serb police actually herded Albanians from the capital onto trains bound for modern day North Macedonia, similar to World War II with refugees streaming in all directions clutching a few precious possessions. According to our guide, Serbs went house to house knocking on doors and telling people to leave or be killed. Though the Kosovo conflict was eventually resolved with the intervention of NATO in June 1999, it is truly horrifying that such an event could have taken place so recently. Tensions between Albanians and Serbs in Kosovo continued into the 21st century, however, and sporadic violence occurred like in 2004 when anti-Serb riots broke out. The riots claimed around 30 lives and resulted in the displacement of more than 4,000 Serbs and other minorities. In February 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia (since Yugoslavia ceased to exist in 2003) and while the United States and several members of the European Union recognize Kosovo's independence, Serbia does not.
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| Sunset from the hotel balcony. |
After another long day of travel and adventure, we opted for room service yet again. Our decision was made as soon as we saw we could get a strawberry smoothie... which was basically a strawberry milkshake!
And, of course, I got another dish with truffles... Truffle pasta.
The following day, we drove about two hours to the Patriarchate of Peć, a monastery at the entrance to the Rugova Valley. Due to the terrain we'd be driving through during the day, it was just the two of us in a car with our own driver and guide.
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| On the way to the Patriarchate of Pec. |
The Patriarchate of Peć is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs. The temple of the Holy Apostles was built by Archbishop Arsenije I in the third decade of the 13th century, and the painting of the church around 1260 was also completed under him. Archbishop Nikodim built the temple of St. Dimitrije next to the northern side of the church between 1321 and 1324 while Archbishop Danilo II built the churches dedicated to Virgin Odigitrija and St. Nikola on its southern side. St. Dimitrije was painted for the first time around 1345 with newer frescoes painted around 1619-1620. The church of the Holy Virgin Odigitrija was painted before 1337 while its parvis was painted in the 14th and 16th centuries. An entire history of the styles of medieval wall painting can be seen on the walls of the churches here... it is truly beautiful.
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| Outside of the Patriarchate of Pec. |
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| One of the small rooms inside the Patriarchate of Pec. |
Today, the monastery is still one of the most important Serbian Orthodox centers in the region with 24 nuns living there. After the war, all Serb residents of Peć were forced to leave. Those who remained suffered violent death or abduction by Albanian extremists who control the area despite the presence of NATO led troops. After a short visit led by one of the nuns, we ducked back into the rain and headed for the cars... it was time to take a scenic drive into the Rugova Valley.
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| It was raining, and she forgot to take off her poncho! |
The serpentine Rugova Valley winds westward out of Peja and climbs steadily upwards toward the border of Montenegro. Narrow side-roads spin off the main route, giving access to mountain pastures, lakes, and forests. The mountain range here (which also extend into parts of Albania and Montenegro) is considered one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Eastern Europe, still remaining unspoiled.
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| When we made a wrong turn, we got a better view of our surroundings. |
Along the way, we passed stunning misty mountains...
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| Clouds over the surrounding mountains in the Rugova Valley. |
...And some cow road blocks along the way.
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| Road block!! |
At one point, the convoy of cars stopped and we all got out to take in the views from one of the highest points in our drive.
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| View from the top of a mountain in the Rugova Valley. |
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| A lone structure in the middle of the Rugova Valley. |
As we neared the top of the mountain, going the rest of the way by foot, we saw a set up of honey and blankets.
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| Honey with nuts set up on a mountain. |
A beautifully decorated çifteli instrument and flute were on the blankets...
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| A traditional instrument sits on a blanket. |
...As well as delicious, fresh honey and walnuts.
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| To eat this snack, you dip the wooden spoon into the jar of honey and then dip the spoon into the walnuts. |
As we settled in, admiring the views, two local men began to play.
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| A local plays some tunes in the Rugova Valley. |
Folk songs of this region are often characterized as "rugged and heroic" compared to the "relaxed, gentle" form of other regions. At the end of the performance, the men thanked us for visiting this lesser known country. As their custom dictates, we were all met with big hugs on our way out.
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| Two men play songs and sing for us on a mountain in the Rugova Valley. |
We drove through the valley some more before stopping for a delicious, traditional farm lunch. We started off with an Albanian spinach and cheese byrek (made with filo pastry similar to a spanakopita) as well as a cheese byrek without the spinach.
Next was an Albanian white bean soup...
...And some kind of meat curry with rice.
... Followed by a delicious cake!
Now full from lunch, we had to begin the long 2 hour drive back through the Rugova Valley towards Pristina. Of course, with scenery as beautiful as this we stopped to take photos along the way...
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| View from lunch as the rain started to come down. |
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| Views from the drive through the Rugova Valley. |
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| One of the many waterfalls in the Rugova Valley. |
After hitting some horrible traffic (LA level bad... no worries, we were rocking out to music with our guide and driver!), we were exhausted. Our guides said the hotel had a great restaurant, and boy were they right. I had delicious calamari (now my second favorite, after Namibia) and filet mignon that was to die for. My only question is... Where does a landlocked country get such good seafood from???
The following morning, we set off for a quick excursion before breakfast. We headed towards the National Library of Kosovo (we thought). We ended up getting a little turned around even though we knew the general direction and Google Maps didn't work! Remember, Kosovo doesn't exist on Google Maps so neither does "National Library of Kosovo" when you type it in. A few minutes later, we found a shortcut that took us to the National Library of Kosovo. Voted one of the ugliest buildings, the logic behind the design is fascinating.
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| National Library of Kosovo, a unique and symbolic building. |
Completed in 1982, the building is covered in a lattice of fence-like metal and its windows are obstructed. Inside, there are more than 2 million rare materials including books, newspapers, manuscripts, maps and photographs. The library also has two reading rooms, an amphitheater, and a meeting hall. Designed by Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjaković, the library has 99 domes.
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When Mutnjaković was commissioned to design this building, tensions between Albanian and Serbian Kosovars were palpable. Looking for a unifying symbol, he came up with the cube and dome (common features of the Ottoman and Byzantine architectural styles) with a metal grid. According to our guide, this building represents so much more than just architecture. She said that the entire building is a metaphor for intellectual freedom... The domes represent brains and the metal grid is like a chain restricting the locals' thoughts and speech during a tough time in history.
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Heading to Kosovo, I had no idea what to expect. I hadn't heard (or read) much about the country other than, like many other Balkan nations, the country had a recent war between ethnic groups and that it was Europe's newest nation. Reflecting back on my journey, Kosovo has become one of my favorite hidden gems. While small, Kosovo has amazing art, beautiful landscapes, and some of the friendliest locals I've ever encountered while traveling. If Kosovo isn't on your list of places to visit, it should be.
Thanks for reading about my latest adventures. Stay tuned for what's to come and be sure to hit the subscribe button on the homepage to be notified of new posts. As always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics.
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