Although Kosovo has a difficult past, the country surprises with rugged nature, rich culture, and wonderful people. Explore authentic towns, taste the delicious cuisine, and enjoy an undiscovered adventure in Europe’s youngest country!
Kosovo is Europe’s youngest country, and unfortunately one of its poorest too. The struggle for independence has left it’s visible marks. The country is only partially recognized (108 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize the independence of the Republic of Kosovo), and to this day UN peacekeeping forces are still present.
Kosovo is surrounded by high mountains. In almost every direction, the country is enclosed by mountain ranges. The most well-known are the Sharr Mountains and the ‘Accursed Mountains.’ Our base is the city of Peja, in western Kosovo. Here, you can climb from 500 to 2,600 meters in no time—ideal for skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. The Peaks of the Balkans hiking trail starts here.
“It is a privilege to have grown up in Kosovo. As a child, my father took me to the ‘Accursed Mountains’ right in our backyard. He taught me to ski, hike, and bike. At a young age, I transformed our family home into a hostel. Together with Ryce Travel, we then started organizing tours. In the beginning, it was challenging because people often had a wrong impression of Kosovo. I can assure you that the country is safe and that you will be amazed by the opportunities here. We ski in deep snow from December to May, mountain bike all year round, and cross mountain passes on foot, by bike, and with snowmobiles. From our base in Peja, you can also explore the Rugova Gorge on foot.”
Kosovo has plenty to offer: The Great Outdoors in both summer and winter, an excellent cuisine and a young and enterprising population. Surrounded by mountains, the country borders Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Kosovo covers an area of 10,887 km² and has around 1.8 million inhabitants. The largest city is capital Pristina, home to about 200,000 residents Kosovars generally speak Albanian, are Muslim and pay in euros. In the north, however, Serbian is spoken, transactions are made in dinar, and people drink Jelen beer instead of Birra Peja.
It’s clear that Kosovo carries a complex history. That’s why it’s not easy to summarize this briefly and fairly But, we are trying our best.
As early as 1000 BC, Kosovo was inhabited by Illyrian tribes who lived between the Danube and the Adriatic coast and were feared as fierce pirates. Around the first century BCE came the Romans (quite conquering and, moreover, not afraid of “barbarians”). The Romans brought both Christianity and the Latin alphabet to these regions. The Illyrian language survived and later became the basis of modern Albanian. By the 5th century, Slavic tribes crossed the Danube These Southern Slavic tribes settled in the region that would later be called Yugoslavia (yugo is Russian for south). They introduced the Cyrillic alphabet and the Orthodox Church. By the 12th century, these tribes united into the powerful Serbian Empire. In the 14th century, yet another player entered: the Ottomans stormed the Balkans. They achieved in winning a decisive battle at Kosovo Polje (the Battle of the Field of Blackbirds) on June 28, 1389—a date still etched in history. Exit Serbian Empire, Enter Ottoman Empire.
These early events already reveal the deep-rooted divisions of the Balkans, especially in Kosovo. We do not have enough space here to recount the complete history of Kosovo (there is hours to tell, discuss and argue about that), but do not hesitate to ask us or our guides about it during your trip!. It is our pleasure to reveal all the details about this extensive history.
The following centuries were characterized by a constant struggle for power over the Serbian territories. For centuries, the region was a battleground between the Ottomans, Serbs, Austro-Hungarians, Albanians, and Russians. From the Balkan Wars in the early 20th century, to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, to two world wars, and the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Later came Tito’s communist Yugoslavia, his death in 1980, the subsequent collapse of the federation, the wars for independence, the Kosovo War of 1996–1999, and finally the declaration of the independent Republic of Kosovo in 2008.
Kosovo had been administered by the United NationsInterim Administration Missionin Kosovo ( UNMIK ) since the end of the Kosovo war. In 2008, a new constitution gave Kosovo greater control over its own affairs: it could organize elections, establish a Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a central bank, a new national anthem, and its president signed laws instead of UN officials. However, police and justice remained under UNMIK’s oversight. Kosovo’s unclear status has had major consequences, particularly economically. The country still has one of the least developed economies in Europe
So, that’s a mounth full! But at least now you can tell something about the country where you go skiing or boarding. We can’t wait to take you to Peja and Prizren, to hike in the Bogë vallei, to do a Via Ferrata in the Rugova Canyon or to ski in Brezovica. Don’t you too?
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