From the Accursed Mountains to the capital city (Which is...?)

Out of Peja and into the Rugova Canyon we went, following a 12km long road that goes all the way through to where the canyon opens up again into a valley. This end is blocked off, though. Years ago, you were able to cross into Montenegro here.

There are a dozen little villages scattered around with a handful of inhabitants each. The river is the real draw, as it meanders prettily along through a very diverse fauna, inviting you to jump in, which is only possible at a few spots.

My human had planned two hikes here, which she did on consecutive days while I chilled by the river.

On the way to Hajla, 2403m

Spent the night in between the hikes with this nice view; you wouldnˋt know it had rained five minutes earlier

On the way to Guri i Kuq you come past a couple of scenic mountain lakes, which a lot of people hike up to for a relaxed day by the water. Judged by the amount of rubbish there, they bring a lot of stuff up here, including BBQˋs and blow-up animals.

The lakes on the way to Guri i Kuq, 2522m

Yes, there is still some snow around

Panoramic view? Well...

Not so much.

My human met and greeted an elderly couple on the way up to the lakes; the lady was struggling hard. 

She overtook them again on the way down.

We then left the canyon, drove for about 45min, stopped at a big supermarket to stock up - where we met them again! What a coincidence. Just as we were about to drive off, the lady tapped on my window and invited us for a drink. 

They had lived in Switzerland for 40 years, left just as the war started and came back a few years ago, after he retired.

Instead, we drove on for a little bit to the Mirusha Waterfalls, where the cascading water, over time, has created canyons, caves and pools.

You can either stay at the lowest fall and pool where a couple of restaurants sit prettily by the water, or you can move up the cascades with the help of hand- and footholds, steel cables and a couple of bridges.

Here we met a nice German couple and their dog. When my human got back down, they were just about to go up. Knowing that they wouldnˋt get very far with the dog, she offered to take care of her for a while, which they all agreed on happily.

Less than an hourˋs drive from the falls is Pristina, the capital and largest city of Kosovo with 200.000 inhabitants.

The city is the seat of government and many embassies are to be found here as well.

The fan zone for the football Euro Cup in Prishtina is getting ready for action

View from on of the towers of the Cathedral

No climbing of rackety stairs here, there is a lift!

Traffic, as was to be expected, is chaotic, to say the least. But in the end, we made it to our parking spot. For a change, we had opted for a very central place due to a recommendation of the German couple. Only minutes from the city center, yet pretty quiet at night. If you donˋt count the two mosques nearby.

Although born in Skopje, today North Macedonia, Mother Theresa is worshiped in this city to a great extent. There is a Mother Theresa Boulevard, a Cathedral in her name and a couple of statues are around as well.

Mother Theresa Cathedral

Her statue and her boulevard, Nena Tereze

So is Bill Clinton, just for contrast.

Ethnic Albanians give Mr. Clinton credit for the NATO bombing campaign which brought an end to the Kosovo conflict in 1999. This allowed those who had fled to return to their homes.

The most controversial building in the city is the National Library of Kosovo. Inaugurated in 1982, the building has 99 domes and the outside is completely covered in a kind of metal fishing net. 

According to the Croatian architect Andrija Nutnjakovic, it is meant to blend Byzantine and Islamic architectural forms.

If he says so.

One of the domes from the inside

All in all, we were rather surprised by the modern appearance of the city. Unlike in other cities in the Balkans, there are no bullet holes in the facades or other visible traces of the war.

People are very friendly and we have been told by a few people now, that Germans enjoy a similar popularity in the country as Bill Clinton. This is due to the many refugees we took in during the war and the help Germany gave to rebuild the country.

The mosque closest to our sleeping spot; looks peaceful but is very loud 5 times a day

Memorial for the female fighter of the war

Soma Book Store, possibly the coolest location in the city

The second-largest city of this small country is Prizren, only an hour drive from Prishtina.

It is constitutionally designated as the historical capital of the country. 

Archeological excavations around the fortress suggest habitation since the Bronze Age.

Today, close to 100.00 people live in this node point with nearby borders to both Albania and North Macedonia.

Roman excavations

Right beside it, a model of the site for blind people. Amazing!

This stone bridge was the first one to connect the old and new parts of the city

Government building

Thanks to all nations that helped rebuild the country

During the late 19th century, the city became a focal point for Albanian nationalism and saw the creation of the League of Prizren in 1878, a movement formed to seek the national unification and autonomy of Albanians within the Ottoman Empire.

The former headquarters of the League of Prizren, now a museum

A 15-minute stroll from the old center of the city brings you up to the fortress. The views from up there are fantastic and itˋs a popular spot for local at sunset.

The UCK was an Albanian separatist militia fighting for the independance of Kosovo

For Balkan standards, both cities are pretty clean and tidy. 

It is hard to say what we expected of the Kosovo, but we sure were surprised by just about everything.

When you think of Kosovo, you think of war, destruction and refugees.

My human remembers two of her classmates in high school who had to flee the war with their families.

What you find when you get here are friendly people, lively cities, amazing highways, toll free, and beautiful nature. 

Very little tourists, though. So maybe Kosovo is what people say about Albania - the next big thing. 

Bear sanctuary Prishtina

20 rescued bears, mainly from tiny cages next to restaurants in Albania, live here

Smaller than we thought, but still big enough to do some serious damage

Not what you expect in a bear sanctuary

It does feel a little bit like a maximum security prison