Ski Adventure Serbia and Kosovo
In the center of the Balkans, a ski adventure Serbia and Kosovo awaits you. A crazy journey to two regions that have a love-hate relationship with each other. The trip begins in Skopje, the capital of northern Macedonia. In Serbia, we ski at the large Kopaonik ski resort.
Prizren, a fusion of cultures
Prizren, Prizreni in Albanian, (Призрен in Cyrillic Serbian) is the most culturally and ethnically diverse city in all of Kosovo. Albanian, Serbian, Bosnian, Romani and Turkish voices can be heard here. The city lies against the flanks of the Šar mountains on the banks of the Bistrica River. If you follow the cobblestone paths uphill, you will come to the Prizren Fortress. From here you can see the entire city, with its hundred minarets and church towers, the river, and, of course, the mountains. An idyllic scene.
In short
- Prizren has just under 100,000 residents
- The municipality of the same name has almost double the population, some 200,000
- Municipality borders with Albania and northern Macedonia
- The Dokufest film festival takes place every year in Prizren
In the long
The beauty of Kosovo (among many other things) is that you have such a variety of cities and places within a stone’s throw. Especially now that borders are easing. Thus, Prizren is located some 99 km northwest of Skopje, 85 km south of Pristina and 175 km northeast of Tirana.
Most of the residents of Prizren speak Albanian. There is also a prominent Turkish community. They speak an ancient Turkish (going back to Ottoman rule) that is linguistically distant from the Turkish spoken in Turkey today.
The most popular (and most touristy) neighborhood is Schadervan. Here you will find a motley collection of Ottoman and Byzantine architecture, the famous old stone bridge and numerous terraces, squares and restaurants. In the middle of Schadervan you will find a fountain. According to legend, anyone who drinks from it will keep coming back to Prizren.
Prizren Fort
The medieval fortress on top of the hills behind the city bears many names: the Kaljaja Fort, Dušan Fort or simply Prizren Fort. The first stones were laid at the time of the Byzantine Empire. Stefan Dušan, the powerful tsar of the Serbian Empire (14th century) further expanded the fortress. After his death and the fall of his empire, the Ottomans also did their bit (literally). Today, the ruins are used as a unique venue for various events. And you can also just visit it and enjoy a sweeping view of the city.