Overview
Set in western Kosovo on the borders of Macedonia and Albania, it truly is a hidden gem. Much smaller and certainly quainter than the capital Pristina, Prizren is an awesome place to spend a day or two.
The thing you have to know about Kosovo is that it identifies heavily with Albania. Most of their more than 1 million residents come from an Albanian background, although they are still a disputed territory in greater Serbia.
Officially its own country since 2008 but still not recognized by all nations around the world, Kosovo is working hard to become in control of its own destiny. Being supported by Western Europe and NATO and being allowed to use the Euro has helped ease the transition for war torn Kosovo to be accepted into modern Europe.
Kosovo is known for a few very interesting things. The first is its Albanian heritage, which can be seen in its food, its culture and language (Albanian is the most regularly spoken language in Kosovo with Turkish being a distant second).
The second is that Kosovo is one of the most culturally diverse, yet highly tolerant countries in the world, being ranked 9th out of all countries. You can find Christians and Muslims, liberals and conservatives all sharing the same small space. It seems like it shouldn’t work, but it does.
We can affirm that there is nothing weirder than being on Prizren’s large bar street and hearing the call to prayer from an ancient mosque while scantily clad women and groups of men all talk over beers and shots.
Is it Cheap?
YES! YES! YES!
Kosovo is the cheapest country in Europe besides Albania or Ukraine. Although they use the Euro, you will see prices like 6 Euros for dinner and 1 euro for drinks. It doesn’t really make sense with how we evaluate money and take you back to a time where the value of money was simply unaffected by today’s inflation. It feels good to spend a little and get a lot. Thanks Kosovo.
WE SAY A GOOD BUDGET FOR PRIZREN IS: 30 Euros a day including Hostels.
Kosovar Freedom Fighter
Sunset Over Prizren
Prizren Fortress
One Day in Prizren
Morning: The morning is the perfect time to get out early and enjoy the city center. Packs of refugee children playing instruments, dogs running around, and friendly faces among the ancient streets makes for quite the scene.
We recommend sitting at one of the various Sarajevo style Burek shops, and trying their namesake dish made of filo dough stuffed with cheeses and meats. It goes perfectly with Turkish style coffee as well.
After breakfast walk along the river and explore the city a bit. Much of the town that is worth seeing is located right in the city center and is truly beautiful. Ancient bridges and more mosques than you can imagine line the river for nearly a kilometer.
Make sure to go inside Sinan Pasha Mosque, a 17th century Ottoman style Mosque perfectly preserved and stylized. It’s peaceful and ornate, a perfect place to reflect on life. Outside of the mosque there are shops vending traditional rugs, tea sets and the like.
Lunch: Get some Turkish food. Kebabs of all kinds, stuffed vegetables and rice dishes make up the bright and interesting cuisine in Kosovo.
We recommend Kofte, a spiced lamb or beef kebab; Sarma, a rice and meat stuffed vegetable dish, normally composed of peppers or zucchini or a regional lake fish dish. A good lunch with salad, a drink and a dessert will probably cost you around 5-6 Euros.
Early Afternoon: Having explored and filled yourself in the morning, it’s time to go back to the hostel and chill, or head to a tea house to relax. In the summer, Prizren gets close to 105 degrees, which can be inhospitable to say the least. It’s always hottest from 1-4, so plan accordingly.
Late Afternoon: Hike up to the Prizren fortress and make sure to stop by the Orthodox Monastery along the way.
The fortress, built in the medieval days was once the capital of the Serbian empire and home to its royalty. It is the best place to see the sunset in the entire city. The hike will take about 20 minutes from bottom to top and is quite steep, so be prepared.
Evening: Go out for a nice dinner at Besimi-Beska and sit in their garden. You can get a sampler plate of kebabs for around 6 Euros with a drink.
After you have had your fill, go to the bar street right across the from main mosque in town. You will find thousands of people, drinking, walking and enjoying the friendly atmosphere.
Try the rakija, a local liquor made of grapes or some of their local beer.
The best place to spend the early hours of the morning is definitely Corner Bar. It’s not one bar, but an open area with about five or six different spots.
Grab a table, listen to their incredibly loud bass-ed music and find some locals to chat up.
Transportation
The city is small, no need to take any public transport. Your feet will be your best friends!
My Travel Essentials For A European Backpacking Trip
Below you'll find a list of my must bring backpacking items. I have gotten this list down to my essentials through trial and error over 4 years of living in a backpack. I hope you'll find these items helpful on your journey!
►Main Backpacking Backpack: https://amzn.to/3vUHdik [Amazon]
►Great Front Facing Duffle-bag : https://amzn.to/3SjK6Ra [Amazon]
►Quick Dry Towel : https://amzn.to/3uarxH8 [Amazon]
►Multi Country Charger Adapter : https://amzn.to/3Ul37p0 [Amazon]
►Refillable Water Bottle : https://amzn.to/48SnG0n [Amazon]
►Padlock : https://amzn.to/3SdyYp7 [Amazon]
►Earplugs : https://amzn.to/498xTpl [Amazon]
►Power Bank : https://amzn.to/3SyXP8e [Amazon]
Travel Photography & Video Favorites
If you're interested in creating your own video content on your trip, these are some of my favorite items I've had. They work, they're effective and besides the Sony Aa7C, they aren't going to break the bank either!
►On the Go Video | Go Pro Hero 12 : https://amzn.to/3u38oHh [Amazon]
►Photography | Sony A7C : https://amzn.to/3u1Y6ap [Amazon]
►Portable Tripod | https://amzn.to/42ojHqc [Amazon]
►Lavalier Microphone | https://amzn.to/3SbL41U [Amazon]
►Drone | https://amzn.to/47TCwSY [Amazon]
►Portable Monitor | https://amzn.to/3Hzv2dg [Amazon]
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