Prizren Travel Guide

From Wikitravel

Prizren, in Kosovo, is a city of mosques and monasteries dating to the 14th century.

Get in

A view of Prizren looking down from the Serbian section of the city

The best way to get to Prizren is by bus from Pristina. You can also catch a bus from Skopje. There are several direct busses from Belgrade (7hours, 1 day bus & 2 night busses, run by Kosovo Albanian companies, cost about 10Euro, stops depending on the route in Nis or Krusevac, Pristina and other towns on the road, information dates from february 2005). Additionally, on a very questionable road through the mountains you can arrive from Tirana.

Get around

From the bus station everything is within walking distance

See

• The Turkish baths
• The mostly destroyed Serbian Quarter above the city - from the center of the city, start heading up hill. You will see the remains of the walls on the crest of the hill - head up paths in that direction. There are no signs along the way. You will pass an Orthodox Church that is being guarded by armed KFOR soldiers.
• Numerous mosques

Do

There is much more going on in Prizren during the Summer than any other time of the year. One of the events that takes place in this historic town is the film festival Dokufest. Also, during the winter one can take a skiing trip in the surrounding area of Brezovica.

Buy

Eat

Drink

There are plenty of coffee shops, bars, and pubs located in the downtown Shadervan. Also, various bakeries exist in the area with the most outstanding pastries and fresh daily specials.

Sleep

Turkish style baths located in the center of Prizren

Cheap accommodation may be hard to come by.

There are a number of places to stay in Prizren. The two most prominent are the Hotel Therande (okay, typically balkan), in the center of town and the Prizreni (not recommended) on the road toward Albania. There is also a small hotel / pensione around the corner from the Catholic Church in the center. I can't recall the name, but someone should be able to direct you from the church. It is a less expensive, cleaner and nicer than the other two hotels.

Get out

There are mini-buses to Pristina leaving from the main road out of town. To get to the main bus station take the road along the river and turn right at the traffic circle. The bus station is on the left. There are a couple of travel agents in the area. Buses are available to almost anywhere in Kosovo, usually via Pristina or Gjakova, Macedonia and Albania. Closer to summer you can get also get buses to Ulcin in Montenegro. The bus to Albania is generally considered safer than it once was, although it is not recommended to take a Taxi to Albania unless you are traveling with a known and trusted local.