Cheap flights to Kosovo from EUR22*

Europe’s youngest country is also home to its youngest population, with an average age of just 25. Of course, its young status (it declared independence in 2008) doesn’t mean it’s not steeped in history. In fact, Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, dates from Roman times, while its Ottoman past and majority ethnic Albanian population make for a country dotted with minarets, baths and bazaars. While landlocked, Kosovo is cradled by three majestic mountain ranges that hug its borders with Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, making it a great destination for hiking for dramatic vistas across Balkan borders.

Travel to Kosovo to:

• Spend a day in the capital, Pristina, which has a buzzing café culture, bizarre buildings such as the honeycomb-ish National Library and the brand new Cathedral named after Albanian nun Mother Teresa, as well as an old town with Turkic baths and bazaar.
• Explore the Ottoman-era town of Prizren, starting with the Sinan Pasha Mosque, then hike up to the 11th-century Kalaja Fortress for views over the city that boasts dozens of minarets and mountains as a backdrop.
• Drive the narrow road of twists and turns and sheer drops to the Rugova Gorge for an adrenaline rush and picture-perfect alpine scenery. The adventurous could bike this route.
• Hike to the waterfall of the White Drin, then walk to the summit to explore the “Sleeping Beauty” caves.
• Conquer some of Kosovo’s highest peaks – Luboteni in the Sharr Mountains reaches 2,553 metres, or Gjeravica in the Accursed Mountains climbs to 2,630 metres. Brezovica offers hiking in summer and skiing in winter.
• Zigzag between Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo on a several-day journey on the Peaks of the Balkans trail.

An undiscovered Balkan gem

Most of us have heard of Kosovo because of the war in the 1990s that enabled the establishment of this new country, but its history extends back to prehistoric, Roman and Ottoman times and the country is brimming with this legacy. These cultural sights are paired with unparalleled natural beauty in the mountains, from glacial lakes to caves. Witness waterfalls, walk by grazing sheep and horses and return to friendly villages in the evening for home-cooked meals and a warm fireside welcome from the locals, whose hospitality is a centuries-old tradition.

A multicultural past and present

Start a tour of Kosovar history with Roman ruins at Ulpiana. Kosovo’s Muslim past and present is reflected in ancient and modern mosques such as the Imperial Mosque in Pristina as well as baths and bazaars in towns like Gjakova and Prizren. The latter is dotted with minarets and a medieval fortress, a true step back in time, except the locals still live and work among the landmarks. Kosovo’s Roman Catholic minority welcomes visitors into the grand Cathedral named for Albanian nun Mother Teresa in the capital, Pristina. Serbian Orthodox traditions are preserved at Gracanica Monastery. Throughout the country, a vibrant café culture and colourful cuisine bring locals and visitors together to share in Kosovo’s historic hospitality.

Unparalleled natural beauty

Landlocked Kosovo may not have the sea, but lovers of mountains and lakes will discover breathtaking examples of these natural phenomena in Kosovo’s three mountain ranges. Kosovo shares its mountains with its neighbours, but the ranges remain among the least-explored in Europe. The peaks are linked in an almost 2000-kilometre route connecting the Dinaric Alps and the Sharr Mountain Range, crossing Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, linking trekking paths, former military tracks, ancient trading routes and shepherds’ paths. In Kosovo, visit Brezovica for hiking or skiing at a resort that retains an ‘80s feel, when it was an alternate site for events at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. Gaze in awe at the Rugova Gorge and explore caves carved from the mountain by the rushing waters, which also cascade down as waterfalls.

Balkan hospitality

Hearty homestyle cooking is paired with local hospitality wherever you may go in Kosovo. The cuisine combines elements of Albanian, Serbian, Greek and Turkish culinary traditions, with an emphasis on grilled meats, flaky pastries, sourdough breads, plus fresh, grilled, or pickled vegetables. The peppery sauce called hajvar, known elsewhere in the region as ajvar, is a must, and the local tipple is red wine from the native Vranac grape variety as well as the spirit raki. Start and finish your day with thick, sweet Turkish-style coffee. Kosovars aren’t yet jaded by hordes of tourists – they continue to extend age-old hospitality to every visitor, with pride and generosity. In the mountain villages, this means you can stay with locals and enjoy truly home-cooked meals, getting to know Kosovo.