5 Great Reasons to Visit Pristina, Kosovo

Disclosure: This post (probably) contains affiliate links. If you click on one, I may make a small commission. Of course, this will come at no extra cost to you and helps keep this site running.

While many people have heard of Kosovo for one reason or another, the same can’t be said for its capital city Pristina. I’d long wanted to see Kosovo as it was a noticeable gap in my European travels and was able to make it a reality last summer. Pristina was where I both started and ended my travels there while travelling with a friend, but I wasn’t particularly excited to visit Pristina itself.

What’s interesting then is that I came to like Pristina, or Prishtina as it can be spelled, quite a lot. There may not be a great long list of things to do in Pristina, but that’s not the city’s appeal. I’ve been to quite a few cities in the Balkans now and yet I still found something new with Pristina. So allow me to do my best to explain why I liked it so much and why you should visit Pristina if you can.

The Gateway to Kosovo

Let’s start with the most obvious reason to travel to Pristina – the rest of Kosovo. Being the main city there, Pristina is the easiest place to get to a natural starting point for any Kosovo trip. But it’s not just transport connections that make it the place to begin your visit. The city is the perfect place to familiarise yourself with and get insight into what Kosovo is like.

You need only walk down the main pedestrian street of Bulevardi Nënë Tereza to get a sense of city life here. Quiet during the day and bustling after sundown, this street is ideal for people watching. I can’t think of a more gentle way to ease yourself into travel in Kosovo than spending some time in the city centre. Sure, the Old Town of Prizren is quite touristy and therefore easy to navigate. But few places in Kosovo are as easy on tourists as Prishtina.

Related: Great Things to Do in Prizren, Kosovo

Interesting Mix of Sightseeing

To clarify my earlier comment, there are Pristina attractions worth seeing. Ok, so maybe not as much as some cities in Europe, but there’s enough to keep you occupied for a day. And what’s nice is that when you find out what to see in Pristina, it’s quite an eclectic mix.

The best place to start is with the National Library of Kosovo, because it sure is iconic. This library in the middle of the University of Prishtina campus is one of a kind. It’s a big Brutalist building covered in a steel net with white bubbles on top of it.

Up close it’s seen better years, but from afar it’s hands down the prettiest “ugly building” I’ve seen. You’re also able to duck your head inside to see its equally interesting interior. Another intriguing piece of brutalist architecture is the Youth and Sports Center next to Fadil Vokrri Stadium.

Back outside the library you’ll also see the Christ the Saviour Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, an unfinished building that seems both eerie and beautiful. Next, across the road from the library you’ll spot another major city landmark, the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa. This brand new Catholic cathedral is full of light and detail, but it still waiting to find some character. The best thing about it to me was the bell tower, from which you get a sweeping Pristina panorama.

Being predominantly Muslim, it should be no surprise that there’s a lot of mosques in Pristina. Tourists aren’t able to just wander into these places of worship, but that doesn’t mean you can’t admire them from the street. One well worth seeing is the Jashar Pasha Mosque which was recently renovated and has some wonderful woodwork.

Some Great Cafes and Restaurants

Having seen the sights, you might be wondering what to do in Pristina and the answer is quite simple. Go eat and drink at the city’s welcome mix of cafes, bars and restaurants. A big part of why I felt the city so relaxing was there was such a great range of places for food and drinks. Over a handful of days in the city, we had the opportunity to try a whole bunch of places and were rarely disappointed.

Cafes are a staple of Balkan cities and you’ll have no trouble finding them in Pristina. Whether it was for coffee, breakfast or even ice cream, we spent quite some time relaxing in the city’s cafes. They’re constant along the sides of Bulevardi Nënë Tereza, but the more interesting establishments are a little less central. Dit’ e Nat’ with its outdoor terrace and young crowd left an impression, as did the food at Trosha bakery cafe.

As for getting dinner, the best restaurants in Pristina take on very different forms. If you want somewhere cheap with good pljeskavica and cevapi, definitely hunt down Taverna Tirona. We’re talking good food for just a few euros. To try a trendy place that still wasn’t expensive head for Soma Book Station. It’s so good!

Our experience with the Pristina nightlife mostly revolved around getting beers in two lively parts of the city. One is actually the side street of Taverna Tirona with tables and chairs spilling out into the street. The other was Fehmi Agani street or what we nicknamed “Bar Street” because it’s full of bars and cafes like Kafja e Vogel where you can chilled beer mugs for very little. I really think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by all this when you visit, I really do.

Learn about Kosovo’s Culture and History

The current situation regarding Kosovo is rather tense and is not something I’m going to get into here. It’s obviously a major part of the culture and history there, but there’s always more to explore.

What I found interesting is that we were in Pristina for the 4th of July and the boulevard was draped in US flags to celebrate. Throw in a huge Bill Clinton banner and Statue of Bill Clinton and there’s a clear fondness for the USA. Clinton is a special favourite it seems as he visited Kosovo in 1999 when NATO peacekeepers intervened.

While that subject clearly relates to more modern history, there’s more to the region’s history than just that. Visiting the Kosovo Museum is one of the more revealing Pristina things to do, because you it takes you right back to the ancient history here. Exhibits and artefacts take you through the ages, from the ancient Kingdom of Dardania to Ottoman rule and World War I.

A Modern and International Side

I think one aspect of the city that will most surprise those who visit Pristina is how modern and international it can feel. In the last ten or so years Prishtina has seen great economic growth, in parts thanks to many international businesses setting up there. Add in other organisations like the UN and it’s not uncommon to overheard English and German being spoken. This was definitely the case at Soma Book Store, which had the feel of an “after works drinks place” for expats and international workers.

Then there’s the city’s modern artistic flair, springing up in a number of places. Probably it’s most popular instance is the NEWBORN sign, a sculpture and tourist attraction that commemorates Kosovo’s declaration of independence. The graffiti on the sign is quite in depth and worth a quick study. But personally, I can’t think of anything better than the above street art. This rat mad scientist was on the side of the Chemistry Faculty building of the university and it’s just awesome.

Getting to Pristina

Since I’ve said that Pristina is the easiest place to reach in Kosovo, let’s dig into how to get there. The most straightforward option is to fly into Pristina International Airport, although most of its routes are with German-speaking Europe. If you do fly in, use the 1A Pristina airport bus to get into the city. It runs a loop through the city centre, stopping outside the Grand Hotel Prishtina and the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa en route to Pristina Bus Station. Tickets are 3€ from the driver.

But it’s just as likely that you’ll already be in the Balkans, which means bus is the way to go. It’s here that I need to make something clear about travelling to and from Kosovo. Because of the situation with Serbia and Kosovo, Serbia will only recognise entry and exit to Kosovo through their borders. This means if you enter from Serbia you must also exit there as well. Travel in and out by air or from North Macedonia, Albania or Montenegro is less problematic and can be mix-and-matched.

Anyway, back to travel by bus. Travelling from Skopje to Pristina is one of the easiest ways to get to the city. Pristina to Skopje by bus is a common route and generally takes 2 hours with regular departures. You’ll also find buses from Albania and Serbia, but these run less frequently. Then there are all the buses to other cities and towns around Kosovo which you can find with Gjirafa.

Travel Tips for Visiting Pristina

Arriving in Pristina is one thing, but what about once you’re there? Well, upon arriving at Pristina Bus Station, you can either walk to the city centre or the Lakrishte bus stop on Bulevardi Bill Clinton. From there take the 7 bus into the city centre, with tickets bought from a conductor costing just 0.4€. Yes, transport in Prishtina and Kosovo is insanely cheap. But the city also isn’t that large so you may not find much need for bus travel other than for the station.

The other thing to think about is accommodation and again, you’re really in luck. We stayed in three different places in Pristina, with each exceptional value for money. There are loads of hotels, apartments and guesthouses in Pristina, with many in super central spots. We stayed at Sleep Inn Prishtina and Boulevard Prishtina both footsteps from the main pedestrian area and Cima Apartment which was massive and had everything you could need. All recommended!

Are you surprised by this Prishtina travel blog and what the city is like? Are you now interested in the idea of visiting Pristina? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.