Amidst the Balkan states, lies a tiny country much of the world may never have heard about, and in fact is one of the newest countries on the planet. Declaring independence in 2008, Kosovo is still to this day not recognized as a nation by all.
We decided to change our plans during our family’s backpacking trip of Eastern Europe and visit this new little country, and we are so glad we did! There are many things to see in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. The friendliness of the people is evident in every interaction. It is definitely a place not to be missed!
Where is Kosovo Located?
Kosovo is a country that sits in the Balkan states surrounded by Montenegro, Albania, and North Macedonia. To the north, is Serbia. Serbia is the country that Kosovo fought for independence from. The current climate of the area is that Serbia still recognizes Kosovo as part of their own country, but Kosovo views themselves as an independent nation.
Getting to Kosovo
Air
Most flights entering Kosovo, fly into the capital of Pristina. You can fly direct from many other European cities into Pristina International Airport.
Bus
There is a large international bus station located near the city center. You can walk from the main attractions to the bus station. The bus station has buses traveling to other European cities as well as cities within Kosovo.
One thing to note when traveling in and out of Kosovo – when traveling over land from Albania or North Macedonia, you will have your passport stamped to enter the country of Kosovo. You can not proceed into Serbia after receiving a Kosovo stamp. You need to leave Kosovo and enter Serbia through a different country in order to enter Serbia legally.
There are no trains to international destination currently running from Pristina or any other location in Kosovo. Buses are the best mode of public transportation over land.
Visiting the Capital of Kosovo – Pristina
Kosovo’s capital city of Pristina (also spelled Prishtina) is a young, vibrant city. The feeling of walking through Pristina is modern, orderly, and clean. The center of the city has big sidewalks, easy to walk, and lots to see! Strollers are very usable and there are benches to sit and rest at.
Visiting Pristina is doable as a day trip as the center of the city is very walkable, so it’s easy to get around and see the sights. However, I strongly suggest visiting for several days to truly take in the culture and the amazing graciousness and hospitality of the people of Kosovo.
If you’ve been traveling around the Balkans, you’ll notice a change when you enter Kosovo. Wide open spaces, a feeling of new, young, and vibrant. The use of the euro around an area where each country has a different currency.
Sights Around Pristina
We loved how walkable the city was and how easy it was to get from one thing to see in Pristina to another. Here are the top 5 that our family enjoyed the most:
Mother Teresa Square
What is it: Mother Teresa Square is named after Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Catholic nun who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in India. She has much history in the area from growing up in North Macedonia and her parents originating in Albania.
Why it’s worth visiting: A lovely center of town, the square is full of life with residents out for a meal or a stroll around town. There is a statue of Mother Teresa as well as a statue of a book sharing a quote about reading in three languages. It’s just such a nice area to enjoy seeing daily life in the capital of Kosovo.
Walking from: Start here on your walking tour around the city. You can also come end here if you want and enjoy one of the cafes around the square.
Kid-friendly? There were a lot of kids there when we walked through on a weekend afternoon. My kids enjoyed playing with the flocks of pigeons like the other kids were doing.
Newborn Monument
What is it: The Newborn Monument is large letters in the word Newborn standing up. It is representative of the recent independence of Kosovo as a nation. This monument signifies how the Kosovo people want to share publicly their message about their freedom.
Why it’s worth visiting: The Newborn Monument is a significant message and much of what we learned about the history of Kosovo showed us how important this message is to the people. It helped our family understand the history and change that took place in Kosovo not that long ago.
While you are there, you can also check out several other memorials – there is a memorial to Madeleine Albright for her help in gaining independence, as well as a Heroines Memorial. Madeleine Albright is a bust and plaque with information about her significance. Heroines Memorial is a 3D sculpture of a woman’s head and an information plaque.
Walking from: Walk down from Mother Teresa Square just 6 minutes.
Kid-friendly: While these are just statues to look at, the historical significance (given their recent independence) is good for children to see. It puts a picture into their mind to relate to the information they are learning about the country.
Bill Clinton Statue
What is it: Along with several other statues around town, you can see a statue of Bill Clinton. As an American, this was quite a strange sight out in Eastern Europe but understanding the history of Kosovo (and even the present-day conundrum found in Kosovo), helps us to see why Bill Clinton giving his support of Kosovo as an independent nation was so important to the Kosovo people. The gratitude for his recognition is seen in the building of the statue.
Why it’s worth visiting: I was excited to be able to fit in some American history teaching to my children along with Eastern European history while in Kosovo.
Walking from: It is south of the other major things to see in Pristina – about a 15 minute walk down from the Newborn Monument. The statue is found in a central part of town and is quite built up around the area. A great place to stop for a meal!
Kid-friendly: Again, the statue shows much about Kosovo and it’s recent history. Besides being a learning experience, it is once again just a statue to view.
Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa
What is it: The Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa was built in 2010 and is well known for its bell tower and the view of the city when at the top. The cathedral can be accessed for free, but you need to pay 1.50 Euro to enter the bell tower. From the cathedral, you can take the elevator to the top of the bell tower. Once at the top, you have a great view of the town of Pristina. You can look out and basically see the whole town!! After having walked around, it is fun to see what you recognize now!
Why it’s worth visiting: The cathedral is elegant inside. We specifically loved looking at all the pictures on the stained-glass windows and at the hand-carved benches. While the inside is beautiful and fun to walk around, the bell tower is the best reason for visiting. Having a bird’s eye view of the city is worth the cost and time to visit.
Walking from: Walking from the Bill Clinton statue to the cathedral takes about 20 minutes. You are walking due north again.
Kid-friendly: Our kids loved going up the bell tower! Since there was an elevator, there was no complaining about walking all the way up the stairs! Looking out is fun and there are metal bars for safety.
National Library of Kosovo “Pjeter Bogdani”
What is it: Out of all the things to see in Pristina, our family’s favorite was the National Library of Kosovo. It is famous as it was once voted as one of the ugliest buildings in the world. But the building in fact has a story as we learned on our visit. The purpose behind the library is to keep the history of Kosovo intact by housing the literature that shares that history.
This building is impossible to miss with its distinct design. The building was designed with many white domes on top and with metal covering the walls of the building. It is located on the university campus with sidewalks and benches and landscaping around it. It is lovely to take a leisurely stroll through the area and look at the library and the surrounding buildings.
One building is a Serbian Orthodox church that you can view from the outside. It is unfinished and unused. It is fun to compare this church with the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa that you just visited.
Why the National Library of Kosovo is worth visiting: It is an icon in the city! It also houses books that are important to the area. Definitely worth a look inside, as well as outside, if you have the time to do it!
Walking from: Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa is on the road opposite the university park, so a quick walk over. The grounds of the university are beautiful and worth a stop to sit and relax on one of the many benches.
Kid-friendly: Yes! The building is fun for the kids, especially if they just saw it from the bell tower of the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa. They will love getting up close to it. The park surrounding the area is also fun for them to walk around in.
Beyond Pristina
The city of Pristina really impressed us and was a wonderful stop on our trip through the Balkans. The walkability of the city – from the bus stop to all the things to see in Pristina – made it family friendly and accessible. We highly recommend a visit if you are planning a trip through Eastern Europe.
We also loved the capital cities of Tirana, Albania and Skopje, North Macedonia as well. You can read about some awesome places on our Albania page. These were our stops before and after our time in Pristina. The varied city cultures of each country made for fun visits!