http://www.vectorgroup-ks.com
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzC5VJQsdoiPnP4uehi9gA
Kosovo (Albanian: Kosova, Serbian: Kосово и Метохија, Kosovo i Metohija) is a disputed territory and de facto independent country in South Eastern Europe. After a lengthy and often violent dispute with Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in February 2008 and (as of 16 October 2012) 93 UN states recognise this and it has become a member country of the IMF and World Bank as the Republic of Kosovo, despite heavy Serbian opposition.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjzC5VJQsdoiPnP4uehi9gA
Kosovo (Albanian: Kosova, Serbian: Kосово и Метохија, Kosovo i Metohija) is a disputed territory and de facto independent country in South Eastern Europe. After a lengthy and often violent dispute with Serbia, Kosovo declared independence in February 2008 and (as of 16 October 2012) 93 UN states recognise this and it has become a member country of the IMF and World Bank as the Republic of Kosovo, despite heavy Serbian opposition.
Kosovo, though a secular republic, is largely Albanian-speaking
and Muslim but there are also significant numbers of minorities living
within its borders, especially Serbs. Kosovo's far north, along with two
small regions elsewhere, have a Serb majority and are under local control. Kosovo borders Albania to the west, Montenegro to the north west, Macedonia
to the south, and Serbia (from its perspective) to the north east; the
latter frontier is viewed by Serbia as being an internal boundary
separating Kosovo (as an internal province) with Central Serbia.
While the legitimacy of the Kosovar government is disputed by many UN countries, from a traveller's point of view the Kosovar government has de facto control of most of the the country; local Serb authorities administer five municipalities in the north. This is not a political endorsement of claims by either side in the dispute. |
Understand
The population of Kosovo is about 92% Albanian, who use the name Kosova in their Albanian tongue. Although the official name in English Republic of Kosovo is approved by Kosovo's Albanian-speaking authorities, the word Kosova still finds its way into the English vernacular of locals.
Many people in Kosovo can speak English and German; they are more
than willing to help you and tell you their stories. As an outsider,
you will get to hear both sides.
If you are interested in more than just seeing beautiful
mountains and ancient ruins on your vacation to 'the region', Kosovo
strongly recommends itself.
- Seeing the UN and the international community in action (or not!) is quite interesting.
- Speaking to people in a post conflict environment is an eye opener that tends to cause a person to stop thinking of people in countries of civil conflict as simply nuts.
- You'll get a first hand view of more than 6 different cultures (Albanian, Serb, Roma, Ashkalia, Bosniak, and Turkish)
- You'll gain an understanding of what happens when governments allow industry to function when both environmental regulations and solid, defensible property rights are scarce.
- You'll come to enjoy a lot of coffee-shops around Prishtina.
- The Kosovars tend to be very friendly towards the USA for its support of their independence (eg: they have "Bill Clinton Boulevard" in Prishtina, as well as a large picture mural of him on the side of a building). They also are very friendly to Western European and Middle Eastern countries.
Climate
The climate is continental, with very warm summers and cold and snowy winters.
Cities
- Pristina — the capital; many parks and a lively downtown is to be found here
- Brod — one of the most spectacular villages in the Balkans
- Ferizaj — local church and mosque are literally side by side
- Gjakova — although heavily damaged in the war, this city currently features the best nightlife in Kosovo by far, as well as trips to nearby lakes. The Carisa (market) has been renovated and is well worth several hours. t has tekkes of 7 Sufi sects and is the home to the center of two.
- Gjilan — city with uninspiring concrete blocks
- Kaçanik — a peaceful and quiet town, with an ancient fortress
- Mitrovica — town divided into southern (Albanian) and northern (Serb) sides, with a wealth of ruined communist industrial architecture. The bridge dividing the city is the political and ethnic dividing line of the country.
- Peja — town with much Ottoman as well as Orthodox (Serb) heritage; hub for outdoor sports in the spectacular surrounding mountains. The nearby Rugova Canyon one of the outstanding areas of the country and a ski site in the winter.
- Prizren — another town with a well-preserved Ottoman quarter, and a Roman-built castle . A town in which you may still hear Turkish spoken. It also houses the League of Prizren Complex" the site of the 1878 organization for political identity by the Albanians still under Ottoman rule.
Visas
Kosovo is currently one of the very few states thatdoes not require a
visa from anyone. Any foreign citizen can enter the territory of the
Republic of Kosovo by simply presenting:
- Valid travel documents,
- Proof of the ability to cover their living expenses during the period of stay
- Return ticket (for short stay)
- The reason for visiting Kosovo. (Depending on that reason, other documents may be requested)
If you are planning to stay in Kosovo for more than 90 days you
should, as in any other Balkan country, register at the Police
Department for the Registration of Foreigners. This is is next to the
central police station in Pristina. The 90 day rule for the registration
of foreigners applies to everybody.
Visa Restrictions: Serbia officially states that it will block passports containing stamps or visas from Kosovo. As of 7 Jul 2012, Serbian authorities deny passage to passport holders with only a Kosovan entry stamp.
|
You can enter Kosovo through the northern border with Serbia through Kosovska Mitrovica or near Pristina. There are bus connections from Belgrade and Nis to Pristina and Prizren and from all the major towns in Serbia to the northern parts. Most used transport route is through the Republic of Macedonia and Prishtina airport. Skopje is only one and a half hours from the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina. Travelling from Pristina to any other city of Kosovo does not take longer than an hour and a half. For instance, from Pristina to Prizren it takes an hour and a half, if there is no traffic, but the most that it will take is two hours. The distance to Peć is also similar.
By plane
Several European airlines have started to offer direct flights from their hubs to the International Airport of Pristina
Examples are British Airways, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Turkish
Airlines, SWISS, Belle Air, Croatia Airlines, Air Berlin and Austrian
Airlines. Adria Airways has a regional hub in Pristina. During the
summer, several additional charter flights are available for travellers.
By bus
From Montenegro, you can enter through Rozaje to Peja/Pec(approximately 2.0 hours).
From Macedonia, you can take a bus to Prishtina (approximately 2.5 h)
There is a border crossing in the Presevo Valley in Serbia.
There are a couple companies offering buses from Istanbul via Skopje.
From Albania, you can enter through Prizren on a nice new road;
gone are the days of the "nightmare" 10 h mountain ride. The trip from
Tirane costs 10€ and takes 4 h, with two stops.
By train
There are also trains crossing the Kosovo border. Two daily services
connects Kraljevo in Serbia with all towns on the Leshak, Fushë Kosovë
(Kosovo Polje). Connections from Beograd are possible but includes a
long stay between train at Kraljevo, thus bringing the journey to more
than 12 hours for 399 km.
This service has vanished from Kosovo Railways' timetable but it
is reported that Serbian Railways run a twice daily service from Zvecan
(just after Mitrovica) all the way to Kraljevo. Check their homepage for
details. No passenger trains currently run between Fushe Kovove/Kosovo
Polje - Mitrovica - Zvecan.
An identical service runs from Skopje in Macedonia to Pristina in Kosovo.
The schedule is found here: http://www.mztransportad.com.mk/dokumenti/RED%20NA%20VOZENJE%20DZEPEN%202011-2012.pdf (Sorry, Cyrillic script). The timetable is also available at the Kosovo railways website.
The train northbound leaves at 16:35 and arrives 19:35, the train
southbound leaves at 07:10 and arrives 09:51 (fall 2012). These trains
are reasonably fast and give the opportunity to see a lot of the country
and are a good value at approximately €4 each way (€ 2,50 for the
Kosovo part of the itinerary and 94 MKD (about € 1,60) for the
Macedonian part). Coming from Skopje in Macedonia, in Nov 2012 there is a
Macedonian train running to the Kosovo border (including both border
posts), then a 20 minute bus ride to the southern Kosovo city Kaçanik,
and then another train to Pristina. Note that these trains are not
heated and can be very cold even in autumn.
By car
To enter Kosovo, the validity and acceptance of the International
Motor Insurance Card is in doubt. At the border you will need to pay €30
for an insurance extra which will cover you throughout Kosovo for two
weeks. Ensure also that you have your vehicle registration and a power
of attorney from the owner if the car is not yours. During the summer
holidays in Germany and Switzerland expect long queues at the border
crossing in Merdare (up to 10h).
By Motorcycle
At the border the European Motor Insurance/Green Card is not
accepted, insurance for a short stay is €15 (as of September 2012). The
roads are generally in good condition, and the standard of driving is
typical of other countries in the Balkans. However expect large farm
animals to be wandering the roads.
By bus
The best way to travel intercity in Kosovo is by bus. Buses are
relatively cheap; Pristina to Peja is €4.00, for example. Within
Pristina, rides cost €0.40.
By train
Kosovan Railways (Kosovske Zeleznice - Hekurudhat e Kosovës) are currently (2006) running the following passenger train services: from Fushë Kosovë (Serbian: Kosovo Polje; a city near Pristina)
to Leshak (a town North at the Serb frontier) three trains a day. From
Fushë Kosovë at 07.35, 11.18 and 14.15 and from Leshak at 09.55, 13.19
and 16.50. The train passes through most of the Serbian enclaves that
are strung up through the northern part of Kosovo. The system is seen as
a way of helping to make the lives of the Serbs in the enclaves easier
but also as a way to help integration. The service is free of charge to
local people. Another service runs twice a day from Fushë Kosovë at
04.17 and 19.00 to Hani i Elezit (former General Jankovic) on the border
to Macedonia, return journeys from Hani i Elezit starts at 05.53 and
20.44. A local suburban services runs from Fushë Kosovë to Grazhanica
with departures from F. Kosovë at 05.40 and 19.17, returning from
Grazhanica at 06.30 and 20.05.
There are two daily trains from Pristina to Peja/Pec which are a
comfortable way to make this journey (€3)
The service to Gracanica has been suspended, and the service Fushe
Kosovo to Leshak seems to have been taken over by Serbian Railways
between Zvecan and Lesak (no trains between Fushë Kosovë -Mitrovica -
Zvecan)
By taxi
You can get a superb atlas of Kosovo from the OSCE that has detailed
ethnic maps (before and after the war), vital statistics, along with
navigational maps. To get the map, ask for the NGO Information office
near the OSCE building in Pristina.
Talk
Most people in Kosovo speak Albanian. Although almost everyone understands Serbian, it may result in hostile reactions from the mostly Albanian population.
English and German are languages that the majority of population
speak especially by the younger population. Italian is also spoken but
much more rarely than English and German.
The Turkish minority speaks Turkish and Albanian. Turkish is also spoken by some Albanians also, especially the older generations.
Most people in northern Kosovo are ethnic Serbs, so Serbian will come in handy there.
See
- Pristina is the capital city of Kosovo.. Places that should be visited in Prishtina is the quarter near the National Museum of Kosova. In addition to visiting the museum where a lot of archaeological artifacts are presented, in both ways when you exit, you see the old mosques, since the Ottoman Empire.
- Waterfall Of The Drini River - Located north of Peja behind the Berdynaj village. During the summer, this place is fantastic, and the road to the river is an amazing, narrow road with wires on one side and the river on the other; this is a great part of Kosovo.
- The Peć Patriachy. The Peć patriarchy lies 2km to the north west of the Peja (Pec) city center. 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. All of the Serbs who lived in Peja have either left or been forced to do so by Albanian nationalists leaving the Patriarchy to be heavily guarded by NATO troops, with a few remaining clergy. It is a beautiful monastery with many spectacular paintings. If you go, dress conservatively.
- The Rugova Gorge. The Rugova gorge is also to the north west of Peja and can be found by following the same road that leads to the Pec Patriarchy. Just drive further. The canyon has extremely steep walls reaching possibly up to 300 meters.
- The Gjakova Old Bazaar. A very beautiful old "shopping center" from 17th century. It was burned down during the war in 1999 and reconstructed recently. Also in the center of the bazaar is located an old mosque that was built in the 15th century.
- The Mitrovica Bridge. An interesting symbol of the division of the population in Kosovo. This bridge is the dividing line between Serbs and Albanians in Mitrovice/Mitrovica. It will almost always be safe to approach the bridge and look at it, although the French soldiers who guard it may not let you cross if the political situation is worse than average (average not being so good).
- Decani Monastery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important monasteries of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo. It is famous for its elegant and peculiar architecture. As an orthodox monastery from the 13th century, it successfuly mixes western and eastern church building elements to form a particular hybrid style only known on the territory of old Serbia. This monastery is particularly noted for some of the world's finest medieval frescoes adorning its walls.
- Gračanica Monastery. One of the most beautiful examples of Serbian medieval (14th c.) ecclesiastical architecture. This monastery was built by the Serbian king Milutin in the Serbo-byzantine style, reportedly its shape being inspired by a cloud. It is noted for its frescoes, and being the only medieval Serbian monastery found in an urban setting complete with an old school and archives. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Prizren. The most historical city in Kosovo. It has plenty of examples of beautiful Islamic architecture.
- The Roma quarter (mahalla) in Gjilan. Gjilan is located to the South East of Pristina.
- Brezovica Ski Centre - Old infrastructure but great slopes, located in Southern Kosova.
- Novo Brdo (in Latin documents written as Novaberd, Novus Mons or Novamonte; and in Saxon miners' documents as Nyeuberghe) was mentioned in the historical documents as early as 1326. Novo Brdo was a metropolis at the time, with a huge medieval fortress built on the top of an extinct volcano cone, the remains of which can be visited today, and residential sections sprawling all around. In the outer wall of the fortress, a large cross is visible, built into the stones. The castle, or fortress, was thought at one point to have dated back to the Byzantine Empire.
- Ulpiana, one of the oldest cities in the Balkan peninsula, is just 20-30 minutes away from Pristina towards Gjilan and that is the city that is known to have been re-constructed by Justinian I emperior.
Do
Visit a coffee shop in Prishtina, and have a macchiato.
Buy
Kosovo has the euro (EUR, €) as its currency. Therewith,
Kosovo belongs to the 23 European countries that use the common European
money. These 23 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain (official euro members which are all European Union member states) as well as Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and Vatican
which use it without having a say in eurozone affairs and without being
European Union members. These countries together have a population of
327 million.
One euro is divided into 100 cents. While each official euro
member (as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican) issues its own coins
with a unique obverse, the reverse as well as all bills look the same
throughout the eurozone. Nonetheless, every coin is legal tender in any
of the eurozone countries.
The Serbian dinar is the official currency in the Serbian-ruled four
northern municipalities as well as in larger enclaves with Serbian
majority such as Gracanica and Strpce. Exchange offices are found almost
everywhere.
Eat
Best restaurants to eat at are those that are located in the villages
near by big cities; they tend to have the best meat dishes and the best
sea food. Trout, seabass and salmon fish are very common and popular
and are kept fresh in their pools and are nearly always fried when you
order. Prices are pretty average and, for some European countries
consider, cheap.
Lots of great burek (baked pastry stuffed with cheese, meat or
spinach). Try the drinkable yoghurt (Ayran) - it's superb. Lots of
kebabs and other Ottoman Turkish style food.
As far as you are in an Albanian territory, you could try Albanian food
as well. Fli, a very good pastry, can be found in different traditional
restaurants.
At the bakery, you can buy a fantastic loaf of bread for under €1.
The grocery stores have a plentiful supply of Western food.
Drink
Beer at Peja is a pretty good brew. It is brewed in Peja (Pec). Peja
Premium is a slightly stronger beer from the same brewery but less
widely available. Wine is also widely consumed when eating out, some
local wine and also Vranac from Montenegro are the most common ones.
Even though the Albanians are predominantly of Muslim heritage, drinking
is quite liberal.
Raki is also another alcoholic beverage in Kosova. It is made
from local fruits (the most common one is from grape) and can be best
described as a hard liquor similar to vodka. It can be quite strong so
if you have a weak stomach or do not often drink liquor avoid this
beverage.
Yogurt/Ayran is also a common local drink and is consumed with
pastry foods. Boza is also another common sweet drink drank with cakes
and pastries.
Sleep
Accommodation in Kosovo can be expensive, meaning it is probably the
same as hotels in surrounding countries (starts at €25 and goes over
€100) and primarily is designed for people working for the development
agencies. Your best bet on finding a place to stay is outside of
Prishtina (if you're with the car) and to have a contact there ahead of
time (even if its just somebody you met over the internet) and stay with
them. Or possibly contact some of the smaller development
organisations, such as Balkan Sunflowers and online listing of Kosovo
hotels, and ask if they can help you with accommodation staying in a
rural community or in the city for a higher price.
Skopje in Macedonia has some very cheap accommodation, so doing day trips to Kosovo from there is very much a possibility. But Prishtina now has many places; thus, there is no need to go and come back from Skopje just for a cheap hotel for a night.
Stay safe
Avoid getting too much into politics in Kosovo, although ask as many
questions (within reason) as you like. They are very open about their
hatred of each other and more than willing to tell you about it.
Don’t let the politics stop you from visiting; tensions have
risen in a few moments in the past decade, but nearly all have been in
the divided city of Mitrovica in the north of the country and with a
10,000+ NATO peace keeping force and a large international Police force,
you are very safe from pretty much everything and the chance of a full
out conflict is very low with such international supervision and even if
one is to occur, all foreigners would be evacuated within 48 hours. You
will most likely find peacekeeping soldiers from your own country to
help you if you need it.
There is pretty much no physical or criminal dangers you need to
worry about people in general—both Albanians and Serbs—are extremely
friendly and hospitable to tourists. Kosovo is a country that is used to
having a vast amount of foreigners from all over the world.
Since the end of the war, there were more than 200,000 international
workers from over the world came to aid the rebuilding and peace effort
in the country and the locals are very used to people from outside and
very friendly.
The corruption level is extremely low and the Kosovo police
corruption is again very low thanks to the supervision of the EULEX
international police, which means it is one of the only countries in
Eastern Europe where bribery is pretty much unheard of unless you have
committed a major crime and are offering tends of thousands, but that is
a different story between the police and organised crime and has
nothing to do with regular people and tourists.
Use only registered taxis as they have fixed fares and you will
not get scammed with unlicensed taxis; they are safe, but they will
always scam you if you use the meter, so if you have to use an
unlicensed taxi, make sure you come to a deal before hand so he does not
use the meter.
Homophobia is somewhat of an issue and people don’t take kindly
to homosexuals, but again, physical harm is not an issue unless you
openly display affection or manners.
Land mines
Like much of the Balkans, land mines were heavily used during the
Yugoslav civil wars. Though this was a major problem in the country in
the first four years after the war, now it’s a very rare that you
encounter them, most suspicious areas are listed in local tour guide
books, most of the mined areas are places where conflict took place
(Central Kosovo countryside and Kosovo–Albania border region).
It's very safe to go hiking and camping — just ask before you do
so to make sure it's not a suspicious area and most hiking and camping
takes place in areas where war did not occur, like the Sharr mountains
where there is a ski and camping resort.
Open manholes
Likely stolen to sell as scrap metal, one should keep an eye out for
this potential hazard. Whilst not an issue on busy city streets, walking
even a few kilometres outside downtown Pristina can be dangerous -
particularly when walking in tall grass beside roads or sidewalks. Local
residents have been known to use a small pile of sticks and stones to
cover an open sewer pit and care should be taken not to step on these
either.
Stay healthy
It is possible for foreigners to obtain treatment at the public
hospital in Pristina (staff from your accommodation may come in handy as
translators). However, the state of the hospital is far from ideal: The
toilets have no soap, infusions are hanging from improvised stands.
Kosovo has no public health insurance system and you will be required to
pay your bill in cash. A visit to the doctor and a few pills from the
pharmacy will cost you around 20 €. If you know what you need you may
visit the pharmacy directly as no prescription is needed.
Rabies
Don't pet dogs — stay away from them!!!
Whilst most are not aggressive when they are in packs, they can
very well be, so make sure you stay away and don’t run away from them
either as dogs chase you when you run; sometimes, the best defence is an
attack so charging at them a little usually scares them away.
But again, this is only a problem in the outskirts of the cities and at
night, as during the day, you will hardly encounter them and they will
stay away from humans.
Get out
There are direct flights from Pristina International Airport to London, New York City, Zurich, Geneva, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Vienna, Zagreb, Hamburg, Hannover, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt,Podgorica, Munich, Stuttgart, Bremen, Rome, Milan, Verona, Ljubljana, Budapest, Tirana, Istanbul and Antalya. Soon, there will be direct flights to Sarajevo and other destinations.
There are direct bus links to most cities in Austria, Germany,
Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Albania, Turkey, Macedonia, Bosnia,
Montenegro and Serbia.
Note that if you plan to go to Russia after Kosovo, you may
encounter a bit of trouble entering the country as Russia still
considers the declaration of independence of Kosovo to be illegal.
No comments:
Post a Comment