2024 Balkans Overland Adventure, Kosovo...

 Our adventure today took us on a one-day trip to Kosovo to visit Prizren, Pristina and Gracanica Monastery. Our driver Miki of Plus Transfer Skopje picked us up at the hotel and off we went on this rainy day…hoping for the best. Crossed the border into Kosovo and immediately, we noticed a marked improvement in the road system. Crossing the Kacanik Canyon we descended into the flatlands or valley of Kosovo…the area is very scenic with an abundance of farmland and the Shara Mountains circling us. Arriving in Pristina, we met our guide Suki for a city walking tour. Pristina is a bustling city located in the heart of Kosovo. It is the capital city of the country and a place of great cultural and historical significance. We started our walking tour with our first stop at Kosovo and Pristina’s most photographed landmark – The Newborn Monument unveiled the day Kosovo gained its independence, February 17, 2008.  Across the street from the NewBorn Monument, we visited another monument, Heroinat. Heorinat consists of 20,000 medals representing a woman’s face…Each pin depicts one woman raped during the Kosovo war with Serbia. The people of Kosovo love the US and have erected a statue of Madeline Albright and Bill Clinton who is credited for ending the war in Kosovo and gaining their independence…In his honor, they have erected a statue to them and named a boulevard after Bill Clinton. We continued our walk checking out souvenirs shops and local crafts when we met 3 US Army personnel…We had a nice chat with the troops all deployed to camp Bonsteel, Kosovo Force (KFOR) a NATO led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo. We continued wandering along Mother Teresa Boulevard pedestrian street admiring the architecture and government buildings till we reached its northern end. Mother Teresa boulevard terminates at Skanderburg Square, where an imposing statue of the Albanian General Skanderburg stands in wait. Our guide took us to a monument in support of the United States 911 Terrorist attack. Our last stop in Pristina was the National Library. This is an amazing socialist era creation with its 99 domes of different sizes and completely covered in a lattice of fence-like metal covering. Next door to the library, we saw Church of Christ the Savior. This church was ordered to be built under the Milosevic’s regime. Since Milosevic’s demise, the church has remained unfinished. The Orthodox church is recognizable by its red brick without a facade, cement domes and a huge gold cross at the top. We walked back to meet our driver to continue our tour... After the city tour of Pristina, we drove about 15 minutes to Gracanica to visit the Gracanica Monastery, one of the most important Orthodox symbols that found its home in Kosovo. Gracanica Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site, today a home to numerous priceless frescos carefully guarded by the nuns. The monastery was established in 1321, and as history played out around its walls the monastery began to reflect the skirmishes and wars that plagued what would become Kosovo. A beautiful example of Serbo-Byzantine architecture, we were glad to have the chance to see it during our one day in Kosovo. Leaving Gracanica, we drove to Prizren, a beautiful city of old buildings, mosques and monasteries and is often referred to as the cultural capital of Kosovo. Prizren is located on the banks of the Prizren River between the foothills of the Sharr Mountains in southern Kosovo. Prizren, was the country’s cultural centre during the period of Ottoman rule (1455 to 1912) and remains Kosovo’s most charming city. We did a walking tour in Prizen…crossing the bridge over the river, the first site that grabs your attention is the Sinan Pasa Mosque, m one of the most pronounced elements of the Prizren landscape. Much of the Old Town revolves around it. With a large, rounded dome and a minaret that extends more than 140 feet into the air. Joining the two halves of the historical center of the city, the Stone Bridge spans the Prizren Bistrica river. One of Prizren’s best features is its picturesque riverfront. After crossing the bridge and in Old Town, we toured the inside of the mosque. This Ottoman Mosque was finished in 1615 by Sofia Sinan Pasha, the local Ottoman chieftain at the time. Today, there are sections of the mosque that have the original stone floor and woodwork. As for the interior, the artwork on the dome was done in the 19th century, helping make it quite special inside with a mix of Ottoman and Baroque style. Our luck with the weather held out until halfway through our walk about in the old town but the rain did not detour us from looking around. Prizren is home to many intriguing buildings in clouding Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian style. We covered a lot of territory in Kosovo in one day with a great driver Miki and guide Suki…two genuine down to earth gentleman who are so very proud of how their country has recovered from the travesties of war.