Kosovo War Tour: Burden of Independency (2Day 1Night)

Morning: We will start our day after the breakfast and take a short ride towards the first stop – Gazimestan Monument, Memorial and a symbol of the famous Battle of(for) Kosovo only 5 kms from Pristina.

Due to the long and turbulent historical events this memorial went through, nowadays it is highly protected by Kosovo police. Prepare your passports as we will need to go through the standard control procedure which, strangely, perfectly fits in the overall atmosphere of the windy Kosovo field. 

We will learn about the famous Kosovo Myth very often called Kosovo Cult and/or legend as well. This myth is considered as a “nation-building-myth” and is based on the legends that came from the battle of Kosovo. 

We will hear about the actual fight, explore the treasure trove of history facts and keep our minds unbiased while discussing the four Kosovo myth terms: vengeance, martyrdom, betrayal and glory.

> Whoever is a Serb and of Serb birth
And of Serb blood and heritage
And comes not to the Battle of Kosovo,
May he never have the progeny his heart desires!
Neither son nor daughter
May nothing grow that his hand sows!
Neither dark wine nor white wheat
And let him be cursed from all ages to all ages!
— Inscription on the monument of the “Kosovo curse”

Early Afternoon: After we spend some time enjoying the windy atmosphere of history and legends, we will head towards our next stop – Mitrovica. 

Just the fact we will have an issue with the city’s name (Mitrovica OR Kosovska Mitrovica) can give you a small insight into all of the Gordian knots we will be dealing with with every single question we ask, and each answer we are given.

Due to its geographical position between the two rivers Ibar and Sitnica, Mitrovica used to be a prehistoric centre and an Illirian necropolis. Our time travel will go from the ancient civilisations, Roman and Byzantine Empires, Serbian kings all the way to the time of “Titova Mitrovica” and former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with its prides and prejudices.

>Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic of Serbia statue in the Northern part of Mitrovica with Serbian majority.

Due to the previous conflicts, in 2013 during the local elections, the city was divided into the municipalities of North and South Mitrovica making it a one city under the two roofs, two institutions, two systems, two and states.

However, if you shortly put aside and forget the fact the bridge is a stationary of Kosovo police forces and protected by KFOR forces, you will be surprised by the level of the ordinary life picture you will find in the city.

While this should be no surprise at any other corner of the world, the fact Mitrovica is so oftenly presented in media as a scene of riots and conflicts even after the last Kosovo war, will seem quite shocking.

>Mitrovica Bridge, connecting the two banks of the river Ibar and, more importantly, the so called “Albanian” and “Serbian” sides.

In Mitrovica, we will, once again, try to reach the never-ending question of Kosovo and all the reasons behind (non)recognising it as a valid and independent country.

After the city centre, we will head towards the hill looming over the city and hosting the powerful Yugoslav monument built by Bogan Bogdanovic, the same architect who was in charge of the spectacular Jasenovac monument.

>Shrine to the Revolution’ or ‘Monument to Fallen Miners’ at the  Partisan Hill in Mitrovica

This massive concrete monument is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the World War II battles. We will enjoy the amazing sky platform walks and talk about the the socio-communist drama played in the Kosovo theatre. 

Lunch: An hour of drive from Mitrovica will take us to the captivating Peje where we will spend a night. 

We will meet our hosts, Kosovo Bosniaks at the local farm. Over the lunch, we will discuss the current situation of Kosovo and learn more about everyday life and an everyman of Kosovars.

Although harsh from the outside, Kosovars are friendly people so no worries on possible language barriers you will become aware of as soon as you arrive.

> We will learn how to make the famous flija dish and taste some of the finest home cooked Kosovo meals prepared from nothing but the products from their own farm.

Afternoon: After the lunch, we will head towards the captivating setting of Patriarchy of Peje where we will meet with the local nuns and learn about the Orthodox heritage.

Patriarchy of Peja consists of a church and nunnery and is nestled just on the outskirts of the town. This Orthodox monastery complex was built in the late 12th century and is known for its stunning frescoes covering its walls and ceilings. In 2006, the Patriarchate of Peć was added on UNESCO’s World Heritage List as an extension of the Visoki Dečani. Nowadays, it is protected by Kosovo police forces.

After the Peje, we will make sure not to miss a short ride to through the Rugova Gorge which is a truly once in a lifetime experience. Peja is also known by its Albanian name Pejë or Serbian name ‘Peć,’ which means “cave”. It is believed the city was named after the canyon and numerous surrounding caves.

> Narrow roads of Rugova Gorge will take us to a one-man-made Utopia, a home of a man who suffered the consequences of a bad politic regime and decided to make his home at the banks of river Bistrica.

In the afternoon, we will check in to our hotel and, before a dinner, do some nice and easy walks in city which, during the war, suffered a tremendous loss. Just to say that over 70% of houses and buildings were destroyed is enough to give you an admirable level of respect towards the life you will be able to witness today.

We will take a peak into the life of locals, and take a stroll through Peja bazaar, admire the tradition of crafts, handmade rugs, jewels and clothing.  The original bazaar has been destroyed twice – once during World War II, and again during the Kosovo War in the late 1990s.

> Lights of the old town of Peja. We will check out the Old Bazaar and admire the city that, despite its turbulent history, managed to keep both, the Ottoman and medieval Serbian architecture. 

Dinner: We will enjoy a barbecue dinner with locals inside the garden premises of our hotel which is, conveniently, placed in the very centre of the city, yet surrounded by 100 years old trees, and far from concrete hustle.

Over dinner we will open the topics of the current political system of Kosovo, the Serbian and Albanian majorities and Bosniak minorities. We will go in depth and understand the Kosovars while entering the world of pure riddles and gordian knots which came as a result of historic recurrence. 

> Want to feel a bit of the adrenaline rush in the afternoon hours? Hotel offers a unique chance to try yourself at the inside shooting range. No matter if beginner or pro, you will be fully equipped and provided with safety lectures detailing the basic parts of firearms, proper firearm handling, and shooting fundamentals. 

Breakfast: Get ready for some mouth watering local breakfast food. You will have a chance to feel the taste of famous Kosovo tavas, spicy sausages, ajvar, home-made Kosovo breads (ustipci) with cheese, fresh fruit and vegetables, Turkish coffee, tea and, for those who are more into a light breakfast, mediterranean type will be available as well.

Morning: After the breakfast, we will say goodbye to our hosts and head towards the famous Decani Monastery placed 2 kms from the town Decan which was one of the strongholds of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the war. The town was a battlefield between the KLA and Yugoslav army and police. 

We will notice the monastery just next to the Deçan’s Lumbardh river gorge, at the foothills of the grandiose Accursed Mountains. Our guide, the local priest will meet us at the monastery premises and explain how did this monastery ended on the 2021 List of 7 Most endangered heritage sites in Europe. 

> Despite the monastery lost lots of its valuables during the turbulent history, its treasury is still the richest among the Serbian monastery collections. 

Early Afternoon: After the monastery, we will head towards the Gjakova and, on the way, we will make a short stop at the small village Meja.

The Meja village was a predominantly a Catholic village and, nowadays, it is known for the massacre committed by Serbian police and Yugoslav Army. The mass execution of almost 400 Albanian civilians happened on 27th of April 1999, during the Kosovo war. 

Few minutes from the village, we will witness one of the possibly most charming towns you have ever had a chance to witness. Seeing the “frozen in time” town with its captivating old bazaar and “out of the modern world” infrastructure, it will be hard to face the fact that almost 85% of the town was left in the ruins during the latest war. 

> Narrow streets of Gjakova. It is believed that over 6,500 houses were destroyed within only one year,  1,870 of its citizens were killed and more than 600 men registered as missing. 

We will take a walk through completely renovated bazaar (Çarshia e Madhe), enjoy its silent but brimming with spirit atmosphere, and admire delightful shops obtaining the tradition of the old arts and crafts. We will make sure to carefully listen to the stories of locals who, after the war, went through a hard time and a task of rebuilding their town, mosques, churches and homes from scratch. 

On our way, we will make sure to enjoy the beauty of 16th century Hadum Mosque, the catholic church and captivating Ethnographic Museum.

> Hadum Mosque in Gjakova, built in 16th century.

Once we completely soak up the atmosphere of Gjakova, we will head to the cultural capital of Kosovo – Prizren. Nestled on the slopes of the Sharr mountain and banks of the Prizren Bistrica, if you ever decide to put your foot on Kosovo ground, this is a “never to be missed” town. 

Lunch: We will make sure to catch some sun at the Prizren square and taste the famous “Prizrenski cevap”. Medieval Serbian cuisine mixed with the culinary art of the Orient made Prizren one of the culinary centres when it comes to the typical Balkan food.

Prizrenski cevap looks more like the meat balls so nothing alike the one you might have had a chance to taste in Sarajevo or the rest of the Balkans. Made from the veal and lamb, it is served with chili, cabbage salad and is an absolute heaven for the taste buds.

Afternoon: With its numerous cultural and religious monuments, including the grandiose Kaljaja fort, Prizren has always been considered as Kosovo’s cultural and historical capital.  

>Exuding the spirit of tradition, history and modern world’ vibrancy, it can be said this town took the best from both, past and present and is treasuring it carefully. 

Compared to the other places we have had a chance to see, the town of Prizren did not suffer much during the war. However, its surrounding villages were badly affected, forcing the Albanian majority to leave the town.

By the end of the war, most of the refugees returned to Prizren and, nowadays, the population is predominantly ethnically Albanian with other minorities such as Turkish, Ashkalis and Bosniaks while 97% of the Serbian minorities had left Prizren by October 1999.

During the walks, we will learn about the the Prizren Incident which, among the German troops is also known as the Bloody Sunday.

>Orthodox Church “Our Lady of Ljevis, built in 1306 by king Stefan Milutin. The church is now declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance and on the UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger as part of the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo.

Built in the 11th century, the impressive Prizren Fortress provides absolutely amazing views over the city surrounded by the Accursed Mountains. During the 15 minutes of nice hike to the fort, we will visit the ruins of the Orthodox Church “Our Lady of Ljevis.

We will admire the views from bridge of love, learn about the destroyed Albanian League of Prizren, cross the old Stone bridge and walk the old bazaar with its captivating shadervani, mosques and churches, all carefully guarded by the massive Kaljaja Fort. 

>The fortress of Prizren had been used ever since the Bronze Age. It was a part of the defensive fortification system in western Dardania and was reconstructed in the era of eastern Roman Emperor Justinian.

We will let you wander around Kaljaja stone labyrinth while discovering the numerous chambers, underground halls and impressive net of walls that once served for a Prizren defence. Choose your favourite spots for taking some amazing photos and, with the sunset, we will say goodbye to Prizren. 

Late Afternoon: We will take a nice drive towards your drop off location. 

>Prizren in the evening.