Do you want to know the best places to visit in Kosovo? If you’re planning a trip to this hidden gem in the Balkans, here’s all the info you need.
Kosovo is a country of striking contrasts — where solemn war memorials sit alongside lively street cafes. It’s a land of soaring mountains and historic cities, with mosques, monasteries and bold modern monuments.
We recently spent a couple of weeks travelling around Kosovo in our campervan. While the tourism infrastructure is relatively under-developed, what we found was a beautiful country, with plenty to see and do. Not to mention the friendliest, most welcoming locals we’ve met anywhere in Europe.
In this post, we’re sharing our ten favourite places to see in Kosovo, including our new favourite European city, historical ruins, memories of the Kosovo war, and breath-taking nature.
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Our Top 10 Favourite Places to visit in Kosovo
1. Prizren
Prizren is the undisputed jewel in Kosovo’s crown — and our personal favourite. The historic capital of Kosovo, this small city has a beautifully intact old town with several sights worth visiting.
Highlights in Prizren:
Shadervan Square – Bustling with life, cafés, and souvenir shops, especially lively in the evenings. You’ll find buskers and beggers here, and you can listen to cafes pumping out the tunes as the call to prayer comes from the nearby mosque
Old Stone Bridge – The 15th century bridge over the Bistrica River provides the perfect photo opportunity, especially at sunset.
Grand Mosque & Old Bazaar – Tucked behind the mosque are little shops full of local crafts. This Old Bazaar is very small!
Clock Tower & Archaeological Museum – Housed in a former Hamam (Turkish bathhouse), this free museum is worth visiting for the rooftop views alone.
Our Lady of Ljeviš – A 14th-century UNESCO-listed Serbian Orthodox church (closed during our visit).
Catholic Cathedral – We met a kind nun who opened the door just for us — and had a heartfelt chat about peace, God, and the new Pope (with help from Google Translate!).
Prizren Fortress – A steep climb but well worth it for views across the city. The fortress is free to enter.
2. Rugova Mountains
Just outside Peja, the Rugova Canyon is one of Europe’s deepest canyons. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. Limestone cliffs soar up to 1,000 metres, and the winding mountain road passes waterfalls, narrow tunnels, and spectacular viewpoints.
You can easily visit the Rugova Canyon on a day trip from Peja. We recommend you drive further up the valley to Kuquishtë, and stay overnight to really get the most out of this beautiful area.
We stayed at Guri i Kuq, a cosy guesthouse with great food and incredible hospitality. The owners let us park our campervan for FREE. We had breath-taking views over the valley, right outside the van door.
The food at the guesthouse is excellent, and very reasonably priced. We stayed here three nights and ate in the restaurant every day. A meal with drinks for the two of us was less than €25.
The Rugova Mountains are renowned for hiking. We did a day hike up in the mountains along the border with Montenegro to two lakes. The first lake was stagnant but the second lake was beautifully fresh, and Nigel enjoyed a swim here. This trail is part of the Peaks of the Balkans – an epic 10 day 200km trek.
3. Decani Monastery
Just south of Peja, the Dečani Monastery is one of the most beautiful Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the Balkans. Surrounded by forest, it’s peaceful — although it’s now under KFOR protection after past attacks.
Inside, the artwork, icons and frescoes are remarkable. You’ll find QR codes dotted around the monastery that provide helpful English information. Just by the entry you’ll find details for their Wifi although it doesn’t work once you’re in the church. We scanned the codes inside and then came out to load up the information.
Unlike some of the other monasteries we’ve visited in the Balkans, there didn’t seem to be a restriction on photography inside this church.
Entry to the monastery grounds and church is free but you’ll need to bring your passport for ID checks at the gate. We had to leave our passports with the guard, in exchange for a pass on a lanyard.
4. Adem Jashari Memorial Complex
In the village of Prekaz, you’ll find the haunting remains of Adem Jashari’s family home, riddled with bullet holes from a 1998 attack by Serbian forces. Adem Jashari was the founder of the KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army). He died here along with 57 members of his family.
Across the road is a cemetery where the 58 members of the Jashari family are buried. There are Kosovar soldiers guarding the graves of Adem, his brother and his father.
Did you know? Prishtina Airport is named after Adem Jashari, who is now considered a national hero.
5. Mitrovica – the divided city
Mitrovica is one of the most complex cities in Kosovo. The famous bridge here symbolically and physically divides the Albanian south from the Serbian north. There’s a heavy presence of foreign troops guarding the bridge (we saw Italian Carabinieri here) and troops wandering throughout the city streets.
Within the city there are a few interesting places to explore
The Bajram Pasha Mosque was built on the site of the old 15th century Isa Beg Mosque, which was badly damaged in the Kosovo War. The building was financed by a district in Istanbul, Turkey. This is the largest mosque in Kosovo and can fit 4,000 worshippers.
After the war, most of the Serbs who stayed in Mitrovica moved north of the river. However, their main Orthodox church was located south, and it was difficult for them to visit because of continued ethnic tensions. The St Dimitri Church was built high on a hill overlooking the entire city. The church was completed in 2005.
The interior of the church features beautiful frescoes and iconography. It’s well worth a visit. While you’re there, walk all the way around for the best views of the city.
Further up the hill you’ll see the Miners Monument which is dedicated to WW2 heroes of the Trepça mines. You can drive around behind the monument and take a small path up there. The monument is HUGE from up close.
And even further is the Zvečan Fortress – a massive medieval castle overlooking the city.
We ate lunch at one of the street cafés on the south side of the bridge. There’s a short pedestrian street that runs south east from the bridge – its a great place for people watching too!
6. Novo Brdo Fortress
About 40km east of Prishtina, the Novo Brdo Fortress sits high on a hill overlooking the countryside. Once a thriving medieval mining centre, today it’s a fascinating ruin with panoramic views and a great sense of history.
There are a couple of cafes in the village by the Fortress and an old mosque.
Getting there is part of the fun — the narrow, winding road adds to the adventure!
7. Rahovec region wineries
Kosovo’s wine scene is still relatively unknown but it’s growing fast. We visited Stone Castle Winery near Rahovec, the largest producer in the country.
The €14 tasting included a quick tour and generous pours of white, rose and red wines. While we were hoping to find a smaller, boutique winery, Stone Castle still gave us a nice taste of Kosovo’s wine potential.
Travel Tip: Google Maps wasn’t reliable for locating small wineries — double-check info or ask locals.
8. Gjakova
Gjakova feels like a hidden gem. There were hardly any tourists when we visited, yet the town full of charm and friendly locals.
We loved:
The Old Bazaar is the largest in Kosovo. There are several streets with cafes and souvenir shops, and also stores selling everyday items like clothing. We nicknamed one street Mannequin Alley because of all the mannequins outside stores displaying the clothes
Clock Tower – it may not be open though!
The Hadum Mosque is the main mosque in the old town. It was bombed and burnt during the war. We could still see fire damage on the minaret and the library building. We were lucky to chat with the head Imam, who gave us a quick tour before the call to prayer.
Tailor’s Bridge (Ura e Terzive) Just outside Gjakova you’ll see this Ottoman stone bridge. It was built in the 15th century and expanded in the 18th, funded by the Tailor’s Guild.
9. Pristina
Kosovo’s capital, Pristina (or Prishtinë), is a city undergoing rapid change. You’ll still see the old buildings in the centre of town, but the outskirts are full of apartment buildings being constructed and shopping malls.
Top sights include:
The Newborn Monument symbolises Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Each year in February it is repainted in different colours or patterns.
Mother Teresa Square which is the main pedestrian area of town.
We were moved at the Children of War Museum. This small museum houses powerful stories and artwork from survivors of the war.
The National Library has been called one of the ugliest buildings in the world. Built in the “Brutalist” style it’s worth a visit. Make sure you also go inside to check out the equally intriguing interior. Entry is free.
Religious buildings in Pristina include the Great Mosque (Xhamia e Madhe), the Catholic Mother Theresa Cathedral and the incomplete Serbian Orthodox Cathedral.
Bill Clinton statue – honouring U.S. support during the war.
The Ethnographic Museum details traditional life in Kosovo, and has displays including furniture, costumes and other artifacts.
Sadly, the National Museum was closed for renovations during our visit — we hope it reopens soon.
10. Prishtinë Bear Sanctuary
This sanctuary was created to rescue Kosovo’s infamous “restaurant bears”. These poor animals were once kept in tiny cages to attract and entertain diners. Today, 18 bears (and one lion!) live in large, forested enclosures thanks to the Austrian NGO Four Paws.
The lion, named Djon, was also rescued from illegal captivity and may one day be moved to Africa. The poor thing struggles in the winter – lions aren’t meant to live in the snow.
We spent about an hour walking around the park visiting the animals. There is a loop path that is around 1.5km but be warned – it’s quite a hill!
The Bear Sanctuary is open 10am to 7pm daily and costs €3 entry.
BONUS – If you’re travelling in a self-contained campervan or motorhome, you can stay free in the carpark overnight.
Kosovo Travel Guide – Essential Information
When is the best time to visit Kosovo?
We visited Kosovo in late spring, and we think this was the perfect time. The weather was warm during the day, and mild in the evenings. It was good weather for sightseeing, and the snow had melted so we could hike in the mountains. And the wildflowers were amazing!
Summers can get quite hot and more crowded, and many places will be closed during winter. September/October would also be a good time when the weather cools and the crowds thin out.
How long should I spend in Kosovo?
If you’re wondering how many days in Kosovo is enough, that will depend on how long you have! For such a tiny country, there’s actually a lot to see and do here. We would recommend between 1-2 weeks here. We spent 12 days and even then missed a couple of things.
In 7 days you could see the main highlights, in 14 days you could really dive deep into the country and it’s history and culture.
How to get to Kosovo
By Air
There is an international airport at Prishtinë with flights arriving from many European cities. Check Skyscanner for the best schedules and pricing.
By Car
Kosovo is perfect for a Road Trip! You can drive into Kosovo from Albania, Montenegro, Serbia or North Macedonia. You’ll need to check that your car’s insurance is valid for Kosovo. Ours was not. 3rd party insurance is available at the border. We paid €15 for 15 days cover which is the minimum.
By Bus
Public bus travel is cheap although slow. You can get a bus into Kosovo from Albania, Serbia or North Macedonia.
Is is safe to visit Kosovo?
Is Kosovo safe? Actually, Kosovo is one of the safest places we’ve been! We walked around cities day and night, left our van in unattended carparks and never felt unsafe in the city.
In fact, we found the people in Kosovo to be the kindest, most friendly and welcoming of anywhere we’ve travelled. When our van broke down several people helped us with no expectation of anything in return. The mechanic who came out to us to help wouldn’t even accept payment!
Of course, you should keep your wits about you and use common sense, just like you would anywhere.
Some of the potential dangers in Kosovo include wildlife – there are wild bears and wolves in the forests, but we didn’t see anything more dangerous than a squirrel. We always made sure we stuck to the trails when we were hiking.
While the war has been over for 25 years, there are some ethnic tensions bubbling below the surface. Other than seeing the cyrillic alphabet crossed out on some road signs, and peacekeeping forces in several areas (particularly Mitrovice) we didn’t see any evidence of unrest.
Where to stay in Kosovo
If you’re like us and travelling in a self-contained campervan, you’ll love how easy it is to wild camp or free camp here. We stayed in several carparks which we found on the Park4Night app.
One of the restaurant carparks we stayed in was closed for a Muslim holiday, but the guys came out and told us we were welcome to stay anyway.
There are only around three campsites in the entire country! We stayed at Camping Ura e Fshajt, not far from Gjakova which was a lovely riverside camp, with a delightful host.
If you’ve hired a car for your Kosovo Road Trip, you’ll find plenty of lovely family run guest-houses in the country. We use booking.com to find accommodation when we’re not with our campervan.
Watch our Travel Film
As we are road-tripping around Europe, we’re producing adventure travel films to show you the best places we visit (and also a bit of Van Life Reality!). Why not check out all our Balkans Road Trip films?
Where to next?
Continue your Balkans Road Trip with the fascinating country of Albania, whether its historic cities, mountains or the beaches, Albania has something for everyone.