During the pandemic, having taken an EU-organised evac flight out of Kenya to Serbia, my options were limited. I had nowhere to return to, nowhere really to run to, so I just kept on moving as best I could.
Kosovo at that time was still open. Prishtina, the capital, was just a short ride from Belgrade.
Pristina or Prishtina?
Both “Pristina” and “Prishtina” are used, but “Prishtina” is the official and native spelling that reflects the Albanian pronunciation, while “Pristina” is a historically common spelling resulting from simplified transliteration. The city’s municipality uses “Prishtina” in English to respect local identity, making it the preferred choice
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on February 17 2008.
The Republic of Kosovo (Albanian: Republika e Kosovës) is a partially recognised state. As of 2025, only 109 UN Member States recognise Kosovo.
My friend Lavdi is from Kosovo, and she blogs on Kosovo Girl Travels, detailing the difficulties of travelling with a Kosovo passport. Later, she wrote about her Top 3 Favourite Countries for me.
From Belgrade, I travelled to Prishtina via Mitrovica. And I tell ya, I spent six nights in Pristina and I loved my time there. Of course, many things were closed. This was life then.
Here are my Top 15 Things To Do in Pristina:
1. The Monument of Unity and Brotherhood:
The monument of unity and brotherhood: Symbolising unity between the different ethnicities living in Prishtina. Designed by Miodrag Zivkovic in 1957, constructed in 1959.
2. Union Hotel:
The Union Hotel, built in 1927 on the corner of Bulevardi Nene Tereze by the Pavarësisë park. The image is taken from the balcony at my hostel, Prishtina Center Hostel.
3. Skanderbeg Monument:
In 2001, Kosovo Albanians erected a monument of Skanderbeg, a medieval Albanian who fought against Ottoman forces, in the centre of Prishtina.
4. Radio Kosova Building:
Designed by the Slovenija Projekt, the Radio Kosova Building is a fine example of 80s style architecture on George Bush Street.
5. Bill Clinton Statue:
Bill Clinton statue on Bulevardi Bill Clinton. Unveiled on November 1 in 2009, as a way of thanking Bill Clinton for his help in their struggle with the Government of Yugoslavia.
6. Mother Teresa Cathedral:
7. The Partisans Memorial:
The Partisans Memorial, dedicated to the fallen partisans of the Pristina district during WWII, shame about all the graffiti.
8. Prishtina’s Youth and Sports Centre:
FC Prishtina badge outside the Stadiumi Fadil Vokrii
9. Pse ky po unë jo:
“Why this one and not me?
10. Mother Teresa Statue
Mother Teresa – Nene Tereza statue – Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary born in Skopje, then part of the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire
11. Newborn Monument:
NEWBORN, a typographic monument unveiled on 17 February 2008, the day that Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. I flipped the image as there was some work going on, on the ‘correct side’.
12. Stone House Synagogue:
Stone House Synagogue, the only surviving building from the original Prishtina Bazaar.
13. Clock Tower:
The Clock Tower – Sahat Kulla from the 19th century, constructed by Jashar Pasha, is 26 meters tall with a circular staircase inside.
14. The Kosovo Museum:
The Kosovo Museum was built in 1886 by the Austro-Hungarians for the Ottoman administration. Used by the Yugoslav army from 1945 until the 1970s. Was closed due to Corona.
15. The Heroinat Memorial:
Memorial built using 20,145 medals honouring the sacrifice of every ethnic Albanian woman during the 1998-1999 Kosovo War.
Prishtina: Getting there and away by train
According to the information on the TrainKos Website (November 2025), there are only trains between Prishtina and Peja and Prishtina and Skopje.
Here’s the location of the Train Station in Prishtina:
The train listings below are taken from the official TRAINKOS website. I cannot guarantee that the info is correct. If anyone has more details, message me below. Thanks.
Prishtina to Peja timetable:
| TL 4201 | IC 761 | |
| Prishtina (departs) | 07:50 | 16:30 |
| Peja (arrives) | 09:53 | 18:29 |
Peja to Prishtina timetable:
| IC 760 | TL 4200 | |
| Peja (departs) | 05:32 | 12:10 |
| Prishtina (arrives | 07:32 | 14:10 |
Prishtina to Skopje timetable:
| IC 891 | |
| Prishtina (departs) | 07:10 |
| Skopje (arrives) | 09:52 |
Skopje to Prishtina timetable:
| IC 892 | |
| Skopje (departs) | 16:30 |
| Prishtina (arrives) | 19:10 |
In 2010, I took the 16:30 from Prishtina to Peja, the only option open to me. Here are some of the photos:
From Peja, I took a bus to Prizren and then carried on to Tirana in Albania.
Prishtina: Getting there and away by bus
Here is the location of the main bus station in Prishtina:
In 2010, I arrived here from Belgrade.