Thinking of adding a stop in Prizren in Kosovo to your Balkans itinerary? Well I am here to tell you that you absolutely should.
During my latest Balkans adventure in summer 2018, we added two nights in Prizren into our itinerary on our way between Albania and Macedonia. We had originally planned to simply base ourselves there and travel a bit around Kosovo, but in the end we spent our two full days simply exploring the city. And it turned out that our time in Prizren was one of the highlights of the whole trip.
Here’s why Prizren deserves a place on any Balkans itinerary.
5. The food
Kosovar specialty, flia
The food in Kosovo was amazing – and I speak from experience because we ate a LOT of it. It wasn’t necessarily very different from the food we’d had in other places on our trip, but it was just really good. The main differences compared to say Albania, was the clear Turkish influence.
One unique food to Kosovo is flia – a traditional dish made by baking lots of thin crepes, laid on top of one another in layers. Very tasty. See more pictures here.
If you’re looking for good food in Prizren, I would definitely recommend Fish House for great seafood in a very fancy setting, as well as Fellas, a trendy local hangout where tradition meets hipster. There’s also a very cool little craft beer scene in Prizren – Sabaja is the favourite locally-brewed craft beer.
Prizren versus Pristina: While planning our Balkans itinerary, I did also consider staying in Pristina (mostly because I’d always wanted to see the Newborn monument up-close), but I hadn’t heard a great deal of positive feedback from people who had stayed there. In the end I felt Prizren might be a bit more traditional.
4. The cost
One of the first things you’ll notice about Prizren (and probably Kosovo in general) is just how affordable everything is. Spending a good bit of downtime here on your Balkans trip will be good for your wallet, not just your soul.
For perspective, the entire table of food below (three dishes, bread, plus two 500ml glasses of local beer) cost just €10 in total – and we even got tea thrown in for free. An entire meal (burger and fries) cost around €3 at Fellas. We also did a lot of shopping here – I’m pretty sure I got half of my Christmas presents in Prizren.
A casual snack in Prizren
3. The atmosphere
Life in Prizren is anything but rushed if the café culture is anything to go by. Walk through the old town and you will see practically the entire town enjoying a coffee, a smoke and a chat. The pace of life and the people here are equally chilled, making it a really relaxing place to stay for a few days.
2. Prizren fortress at sunset
Anything you read about Prizren will tell you to visit the fortress for sunset. Do it. We went the longer way round, enjoying a nice 5km walk along the river and climbing the hill behind the fortress. When we got there, the setting sun turned the sky a beautiful crimson, just as the calls to prayer echoed out from the minarets below. It was a really special experience.
Looking for a tour of Kosovo? This was part of our original plan for Kosovo: to spend a day in Prizren, followed by a day-long tour of the entire country, seeing the main sights on offer. But frustratingly, the majority of these tours seem to be run from Skopje. I guess there must be enough people who want to see a bit of Kosovo without spending much time there. Within Kosovo, it was much harder to find. The best way would probably be to hire a driver for the day.
1. The people
Prizren from above: the view from the fortress at dusk
One of the best things about Prizren was definitely the people. Throughout our two-week trip from Bosnia to Macedonia, we met more locals in Prizren than anywhere else and those we did meet were so accommodating and eager to show us around the town. Even our hostel owner and his wife spent an evening hanging out with us and telling us all about everyday life in a country that is only partly recognised around the world. (Incidentally if you’re looking for somewhere to stay, I would fully recommend Driza’s House.)
Historically, Prizren has always been a multi-cultural town and even today the city boasts four official languages (Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian and Turkish). In fact, one guy I met took me on a tour around his neighbourhood, showing me where his Bosnian, Croatian and Turkish neighbours lived. This multicultural flavour might not be so obvious to a passing traveller, but it has clearly resulted in an open and welcoming atmosphere which is hard not to love.
So if you’re looking for a relaxed, friendly and inviting stay on your Balkans trip, definitely think about stopping in Prizren.
