Tourism in Kosovo
Encyclopedia
Tourism in Kosovo is still in its infancy following the violent conflicts of the past decade in Kosovo
. Kosovo is known for its rich Ottoman
architecture, Orthodox
religious heritage, unique traditions, and spectacular natural landscapes
. Kosovo was listed in New York Times 41 Places to go in 2011.In the same year, it saw a jump of about 40 places on the Skyscanner fly search engine rating of global tourism growth. After declaring independence, Kosovo has started marketing its tourism potential and has revamped its image through the Kosovo Young Europeans Campaign. Kosovo uses the marketing slogan "Discover New Beauty" Domestic tourists come from within Kosovo, and expats from the large diaspora abroad. Foreign tourists mostly come from the large local international presence. Lately, some groups are coming from Japan. Others include Kosovo as part of their Balkan tour package. Overshadowed by the instability
following the war
, and the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
, the area is widely perceived as unsafe for tourism
. Contrary to general perception, the security
situation has much improved and is stable thanks to the close assistance of the European Union Rule of Law and Order Mission EULEX, and NATO-led KFOR
to the newly formed Kosovo Police.
dispute.
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. Kosovo is known for its rich Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
architecture, Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
religious heritage, unique traditions, and spectacular natural landscapes
Geography of Kosovo
Kosovo is situated in the Balkans, Europe. At an area of , it accommodates a population of roughly 2 million.-Climate:Kosovo is located between the Mediterranean Sea and mountainous regions of Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. This geographic location gives the country its large annual...
. Kosovo was listed in New York Times 41 Places to go in 2011.In the same year, it saw a jump of about 40 places on the Skyscanner fly search engine rating of global tourism growth. After declaring independence, Kosovo has started marketing its tourism potential and has revamped its image through the Kosovo Young Europeans Campaign. Kosovo uses the marketing slogan "Discover New Beauty" Domestic tourists come from within Kosovo, and expats from the large diaspora abroad. Foreign tourists mostly come from the large local international presence. Lately, some groups are coming from Japan. Others include Kosovo as part of their Balkan tour package. Overshadowed by the instability
2004 unrest in Kosovo
Violent unrest in Kosovo, which at the time was under United Nations administration, broke out on 17 March 2004. Kosovo Albanians, numbering over 50,000, took part in widescale attacks on the Serbian people, compared by the then Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica to ethnic cleansing but not...
following the war
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
, and the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
, the area is widely perceived as unsafe for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. Contrary to general perception, the security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
situation has much improved and is stable thanks to the close assistance of the European Union Rule of Law and Order Mission EULEX, and NATO-led KFOR
KFOR
The Kosovo Force is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244...
to the newly formed Kosovo Police.
Cities
Some of the most visited cities include:- PristinaPristinaPristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
— the capital - Đakovica (Albanian: Gjakova) — the nightlife capital of Kosovo
- GnjilaneGnjilaneGnjilane or Gjilan is a city and municipality in eastern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the District of Gjilan. It is famous for having been recorded the lowest temperature in Kosovo with on 25 January 1963.-Name and history:...
(Albanian: Gjilan) — city with uninspiring concrete blocks - Kosovska MitrovicaKosovska MitrovicaKosovska Mitrovica , is a city and municipality in northern Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous district....
(Albanian: Mitrovicë) — the famous ethnically divided town, with ruined communist industrial architecture - PećPecPeć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
(Albanian: Peja) — town with Ottoman and Orthodox (Serb) heritage - PrizrenPrizrenPrizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
— town with a well-preserved Ottoman quarter, and a Roman-built castle
Natural features
- Drini River Waterfall - Located north of Pec behind the Berdynaj village.
- Rugova CanyonRugova CanyonThe Rugova Canyon is a long canyon in Kosovo. It is located in the Prokletije close to the border with Montenegro. The city of Peć is located at the entrance of the canyon. Rugova Canyon is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kosovo.-Notes:...
- North West of Pec, with extremely steep walls reaching possibly up to 300 meters. - Brezovica Ski ResortBrezovica, KosovoBrezovica; or is a village in Štrpce municipality in Kosovo, that is famous for its ski resort.The Brezovica ski resort is a famous tourist attraction in the northwest part of Šar Mountain...
- Old infrastructure but great slopes, located in Šar Mountains National ParkŠar MountainThe Šar Mountains , formerly known as the Shar Dagh , is a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from southern Kosovo and the northwest of the Republic of Macedonia to northeastern Albania.-Etymology:...
in Southern Kosovo. - Šar Mountains National ParkŠar MountainThe Šar Mountains , formerly known as the Shar Dagh , is a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from southern Kosovo and the northwest of the Republic of Macedonia to northeastern Albania.-Etymology:...
, proclaimed in 1993 within the temporary boundaries of 39,000 ha in South Western Kosovo. - Prokletije National ParkProkletijeProkletije or Albanian Alps is a mountain range in the Balkans that extends from northern Albania, to southwestern Serbia and eastern Montenegro. Its highest point, Jezercë in Albania at , is the tallest peak in the entire Dinaric Alps...
, a proposed national park since 2001 in the area of the Prokletije Mountain Range in Western Kosovo and part of the larger Dinaric AlpsDinaric AlpsThe Dinaric Alps or Dinarides form a mountain chain in Southern Europe, spanning areas of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro....
.
Architecture
- Patriarchate of PećPatriarchate of PecThe Patriarchate of Peć is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Peć. The complex of churches is the spiritual seat and mausoleum of the Serbian archbishops and patriarchs....
. This location was the seat of the Patriarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church starting in 1302 and for many Serbs is considered to be of extreme national importance. - Gjakova Old Bazaar. Dating to 17th century, it has been reconstructed recently after the 1999 war.
- Dečani Monastery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo.
- Gračanica monasteryGracanica monasteryGračanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. Gračanica Monastery was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO's...
. One of the most beautiful examples of Serbian medieval (14th c.) ecclesiastical architecture. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - Novo BrdoNovo BrdoNovo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
. A medieval metropolis with a huge medieval fortress built on the top of an extinct volcano cone. - UlpianaUlpianaUlpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda. Ulpiana is situated in the municipality of Lipljan...
, one of the oldest cities in the Balkan peninsula is known to have been re-constructed by emperor Justinian IJustinian IJustinian I ; , ; 483– 13 or 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire.One of the most important figures of...
.
Issues affecting tourism
Tourism is mainly hampered by the legacy of war contributing to the negative public perception on the situation in Kosovo, and planning problems stemming from the recently created state institutions. NATO led security force KFOR is handing over the majority of powers to local authorities while maintaining a strategic security presence. When camping in the countryside, extra caution should be exercised by checking with locals first as central Kosovo still holds unexploded ordinance from the war period. There are some issues regarding entering and leaving Kosovo from Serbia stemming from the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
dispute.
See also
- Medieval Monuments in KosovoMedieval Monuments in KosovoMedieval Monuments in Kosovo is a World Heritage Site consisting of four Serbian Orthodox Christian churches and monasteries which represent the fusion of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the western Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture to form the Palaiologian Renaissance style...
- Geography of KosovoGeography of KosovoKosovo is situated in the Balkans, Europe. At an area of , it accommodates a population of roughly 2 million.-Climate:Kosovo is located between the Mediterranean Sea and mountainous regions of Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. This geographic location gives the country its large annual...
- Municipalities of KosovoMunicipalities of KosovoA Municipality is the basic administrative division in Kosovo.-List of Municipalities:The first name is Serbian and the second one is Albanian:* Dečani / Deçan* Dragaš / Dragash* Đakovica / Gjakovë* Glogovac / Gllogovc * Gnjilane / Gjilan...
- Tourism in SerbiaTourism in SerbiaSerbia stretches across two geographic and cultural regions of Europe: Central Europe and Southeast Europe. This boundary splits Serbia roughly in a ratio of 1:2 alongside the Danube and Sava rivers. The northern parts of the country are Central-European lowlands while the southern and central...
External links
- Kosovo at Wikitravel
- Kosovo Guide
- Kosovo at In Your Pocket City Guide
- Kosovo Tourism Official Portal
- Kosovo Young Europeans Campaign