If you’re looking for the Kosovar destination with the most historical charm, drive some two hours south of Prishtina to the country´s second largest city (pop. 171,000), parts of which that can feel like a different country altogether. Prizren’s origins stretch back to the Bronze Age and it then flourished under Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman rule; in the 14th century it even served as the capital of the Serbian Empire. These days much of the city is modern, of course, but the historic core remains Kosovo’s most atmospheric destination, with the Bistrica River running through its center; medieval stone bridges; minarets and church domes sharing the skyline; and the hilltop, 6th-century Prizren Fortress looming above red-tiled roofs (needless to say, the view from up here is pretty sweet). The compact old town invites wandering;  lingering over potent Turkish-style coffee; and exploring landmarks such as the elegant, 411-year-old Sinan Pasha Mosque and the beautiful Serbian Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Ljeviš, built in late-Byzantine style at the beginning of the 14th century and famed for its also Byzantine-style frescoes (this, too, is part of the aforementioned UNESCO site). And to get context on the region´s layered history from the Neolithic through the Ottoman era, visitors will want to by the small but very worthwhile Prizren Archaeological Museum, housed in a stone former Ottoman hammam (bathhouse). Yet despite feeling almost like a living museum, Prizren remains lively and youthful, especially during the internationally known, 25-year-old annual Dokufest documentary film festival, held for nine days in the first half of August.

Read more in my post What Do You Know About Kosovo? An Introduction, Plus 7 of Its Top Destinations.


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