Kosovo

9 Mitrovica

10 Ferizaj

11 Gjilani

12 Kacanik

13 Kamenica

14 Novo Brdo

15 Viti

History in Kosovo has been highly politicized and is wrapped up with the histories of its Balkan neighbors.

Control of Kosovo changed hands many times in the medieval period, passing variously from being part of the Bulgarian Empire, Byzantine Empire and the Serbian Empire. From the 15th century Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years, before the empire collapsed at the beginning of the 20th century. Wars and border disputes continued as Kosovo was annexed into the Kingdom of Serbia, which expanded into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes at the end of World War I, and changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929.

At the end of World War II, and the defeat of the invading Axis powers by socialist partisans, Kosovo became an Autonomous Province in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, led by Josip Broz Tito.

After Tito's death in 1980, and the rise of nationalism throughout Yugoslavia, Kosovo was stripped of its autonomous status at the end of the '80s by the regime of autocratic leader Slobodan Milosevic. With Yugoslavia breaking apart, Kosovo's Albanians were stripped of many of their rights during a decade of repression during the 1990s, which ended in the war of 1998-99, as Kosovar Albanians stood up against the Serbian regime to fight for their liberation. A NATO bombing campaign against Serbian military and industrial targets brought the war to an end in June 1999, and led to a period in which Kosovo was administered by the United Nations.

On 17 February 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, and was quickly recognized by the Western-aligned world powers, including the United States and most member states of the European Union. However Serbia continues to refute Kosovo's independent status. It is also not a member of the United Nations as its independence is not recognized by Russia and China, both of whom have used their veto power on the Security Council to block any UN recognition of Kosovo. Domestically, while ethnic Albanians support Kosovo's independence, most ethnic Serbs do not and still consider Kosovo to be a part of Serbia.

The climate is continental, with very warm summers and cold and snowy winters.

Kosovo is a multi-ethnic, secular state whose population practises a diverse selection of religions. The majority Albanian population is mainly Muslim, though with a significant Catholic minority. That said, most ethnic Albanian Muslims do not practice the religion, and view it more as a cultural identity. Kosovo's Bosniak, Gorani and Turkish communities are also predominantly Muslim, while Kosovar Serbs tend to practice Serbian Orthodox Christianity.

Pristina International Airport (PRN IATA). Several European airlines offer direct flights from their hubs to the Pristina International Airport, including easyJet, WizzAir, Eurowings, TUIfly Belgium, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Swiss, Edelweiss Air and Austrian Airlines. During the summer, several additional charter flights are available for travellers. (updated Dec 2023)

Other nearby airports are in Skopje and Tirana.

Since most buses will go into Pristina, see the relevant article for more details:

From Montenegro, you can enter through Rozaje to Peja/Pec (ca. 2 hr).

From North Macedonia (Skopje), you can take a bus to Pristina (less than 1½ hr).

There is a border crossing in the Presevo Valley in Serbia.

There are a couple of companies offering buses from Istanbul, Turkey via Skopje.

From Albania, you can enter through Prizren on the highway. One way trips from Tirana to Pristina and Prizren cost €15 (as of 2022/23) and take 3-4 hr, with two stops.

International Motor Insurance Cards are not accepted. At the border you will need to pay for separate insurance, which will cover you throughout Kosovo for up to two weeks. Costs depend on the vehicle but two weeks' cover is usually under €20. Ensure also that you have your vehicle registration and a power of attorney from the car's owner if it is not yours.

From Serbia during the summer holidays in Germany and Switzerland expect long queues at the border crossing in Merdare (up to 3 hours).

You also can enter to the country at Dheu i Bardhe near Bujanoc and at Jarinje near Nis.

From Montenegro, the only legal border crossing is at Rozhaja.

From North Macedonia you can enter near Hani i Elezit in Bllaca or at Bellanice (Stanqiq).

From Albania you can cross at Morine or at Qafa e Prushit near Gjakova.

The best way to travel intercity in Kosovo is by bus. The buses are relatively cheap and comfortable (for example from Pristina to Peja is €4), with discounts available for students. Payment is usually made on the bus to a representative of the bus company coming around once the journey has started - you may or may not receive a physical ticket, depending on the company. However, tickets for crossing the border can be bought in the bus station in Pristina and with travel agency in Prishtina or Prizren. The latter sometimes gives you the opportunity for a slight discount, in case you know the actual fare (see Gjirafa).

Between some cities you may also have the option of minivans, running from nearby the main bus station. These leave when full and are usually a similar price to the regular buses.

For major regional (but also country crossing) bus connections see Gjirafa for times and prices. It won't cover minibuses though, which also run but mostly between or to and from smaller towns.

The only connections as of May 2026 are two daily trains from Pristina to Peja which are a comfortable way to make this journey (€3).

The timetable is available at the Kosovo Railways website.

Major highway construction throughout the 2010s has significantly reduced car travel times between major cities, and further road building and improvements are underway.

Driving in Kosovo, particularly in cities, can be somewhat stressful initially, and it is best to adopt an attitude of expecting the unexpected. Pedestrians crossing in front of you without warning, cyclists approaching on the wrong side of the road, and potholes appearing out of nowhere are all familiar sights. Just-in-time overtaking manoeuvres and swerving lane-changes are also common, while roundabouts involve their own unique local customs. You will likely become accustomed to this quickly, however, and as long as you remain alert and look out for sudden changes in road surfaces, you should be fine.

Parking can be a challenge, particularly in Prishtina and other major cities, but there are plenty of informal car parks charging €1 to €2 for the day where your vehicle should be safe. Many locals choose to park at the side of the road, on pavements or wherever there is a small amount of space, although the police have begun to remove illegally parked vehicles in some areas.

Road signs and place names usually appear in Albanian and Serbian, although it is not uncommon for the minority language to be scratched out.

It is best to use registered taxis as they have fixed prices and are metered. Registered taxis are clearly marked with a company name and phone number printed on the vehicle. Unregistered taxis are usually cars with a yellow taxi sign affixed to the roof, they are safe, but the price is entirely at the driver's discretion. For more information on taxi companies see the pages for individual cities.

Udhë is trying to establish something like BlaBlaCar for Kosovo. The offers are sparse, mostly covering Pristina-Prizren.

Hitchhiking is not as easy as it is in Albania—locals rarely do it and since COVID sentiments have been impacted negatively. But considering most Kosovars are a young bunch of folk with many speaking English or even German, their curiosity should do the trick.

As always, consider the regular advices for Hitchhiking and watch out for any scams.

A UNESCO World Heritage listing consisting of four religious edifices:

Gračanica Monastery near Prishtina – One of the most beautiful examples of Serbian medieval (14th-century) ecclesiastical architecture. This monastery was built by the Serbian king Milutin in the Serbo-Byzantine style, reportedly its shape being inspired by a cloud. It is noted for its frescoes, and being the only medieval Serbian monastery found in an urban setting complete with an old school and archives.

Decani Monastery in western Kosovo – One of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo. It is famous for its elegant and peculiar architecture. As an orthodox monastery from the 13th century, it successfully mixes western and eastern church building elements to form a particular hybrid style only known on the territory of old Serbia. This monastery is particularly noted for some of the world's finest medieval frescoes adorning its walls.

Monastery of the Patriarchate of Peć in Peja, northwestern Kosovo.

Our Lady of Ljeviš (Kisha e Shën Premtës or Bogorodica Ljeviška) – in Prizren, southern Kosovo.

Music is an important part of Kosovo’s culture. From traditional folk songs to modern rock and electronic music, the country offers a rich and diverse musical experience.

Traditional music in Kosovo is often performed with instruments like the çifteli, lahuta, and sharkia. These songs usually talk about love, history, and everyday life. You can hear this kind of music at festivals, weddings, or village gatherings.

If you want to learn more about Kosovo’s culture, listening to old folk music is a great place to start. It shows the emotions, values, and stories of the people.

There are some decent clubs and raves happening in Pristina, see there for more details.

Kosovo also has a strong rock and alternative music scene. In the 1980s, several important bands started in Pristina. They created music that mixed Western rock with local ideas and language. These bands are still remembered today and are a key part of Kosovo’s music history.

Kosovo uses the euro, like several other European countries. One euro is divided into 100 cents. The official symbol for the euro is €, and its ISO code is EUR. There is no official symbol for the cent.

All banknotes and coins of this common currency are legal tender within all the countries, except that low-denomination coins (one and two cent) are phased out in some of them. The banknotes look the same across countries, while coins have a standard common design on the reverse, expressing the value, and a country-specific design on the obverse. The €2 obverse is also used for different designs of commemorative coins. The design of the obverse does not affect the coin's acceptability.

Credit/debit cards are widely accepted. but keep cash just in case

Money exchange is available in most cities and larger towns.

The Serbian dinar is used in the Serbian-majority municipalities in Kosovo. Exchange offices are found almost everywhere. Note that in these locations while euro are accepted generally, all prices are listed in dinars.

There are many options: From fine handcrafted Filigree silver to traditional Albanian wool hats (a plis) and musical instruments (the stringed ciftelia). Local food and drink specialties to take home could include honey, raki, a high strength alcohol distilled from fruit, ajvar, a pepper based spread or feferona, spicy local peppers.

In Kosovo generally tipping is not expected from locals, but as it is done by foreigners, it is welcome. In more upmarket venues it might be more likely for tipping to be expected. In taxis you can tip to the nearest euro or half euro.