Pristina, 3 July 2026 (MIA)

Branka D. NAJDOVSKA

The first impression when you enter the capital of Kosovo is that the local authorities do not sit idle. It’s evident everywhere: new public transport buses, modern taxies, a lot of bike lanes, renewed green areas downtown…

Pristina is not a city you’ll remember because of some grandiose landmark where tourists are queuing to take a photo. You’ll remember this city differently. Oftentimes you’ll see students reading books in parks, grandpas playing chess as if nothing else is happening in the world, buskers, shows, concerts, plays and open-air book festivals. Also, the independent music scene is becoming increasingly renowned beyond the borders of the Balkans due to the strange but successful mix of the Eastern spirit and European modernity. 

Perhaps this is the reason why so many people who come to visit without any expectations, in fact having prejudice that they are coming to an isolated Muslim and Balkan kasaba, in the end leave it surprised by the fact that the accelerated development of this capital is felt in every corner. This transformation isn’t suffocating. There is enough room for pedestrians to move, to have a rest, the air is flowing, lots of greenery… Pristina also isn’t immune to pollution, traffic congestion, rushed construction. However, the city is expanding toward the periphery where huge buildings are being built and entire neighbourhoods of the same model of houses. 

Pristina is a city that is advancing in writing its modern history, changing constantly and living by the beat of its own drum. The past isn’t hidden away, it is showcased openly. Different cultures clash here, as well as generations and visions for the future. Its uniqueness lies here, not in perfection, but in diversity.

What you cannot miss is Kosovo’s “US-Europe commitment”. Billboards, murals, street names, flags and other symbols… It seems they never miss a chance to name something after a renowned American politician or to dedicate something to the European Union (they even have a mini version of the US Statue of Liberty). 

You’ll see a mosque here and there, sometimes even a church (Kosovo has predominantly Muslim Albanian population, some 90 percent, as well as a notable Serbian orthodox minority and monasteries). It was a cultural shock that in during the day-long trip to Pristina we only saw one woman wearing niqab (face veil covering the head and mouth with only the eyes being exposed) and only three with hijab (a headscarf covering the hair, ears and neck with the face fully revealed). Women of all ages wear modern outfits, jeans, skirts, short-sleeved T-shirts, tank tops, wearing makeup, being free and beautiful.

Pristina residents are hospitable with the tourists. Older people can help you in Serbian, younger ones use English, some might talk to you in Albanian using all kind of gesticulations to help you find your way. Places are packed, mostly with young people. Prices in bars are almost the same as here – a cup of coffee is about 100-120 denars. A lunch for one, including a couple of drinks, in a decent restaurant is 16-20 euros. 

The markets, however, are somewhat more expensive than ours, especially vegetables and fruits: a kilogram of potatoes is one euro, a kilogram of bananas about 1.5 euros. A loaf of plain white bread is 39 denars, a hundred grams of turkey/beef salami is 96 denars, 200 grams of chicken parmesan is 68 denars, half a kilogram of hot dogs is 185 denars (there are pork products, but the choice is limited), a bag of chips is about a hundred denars, a liter of cooking oil is 118 denars, peppers cost from 114 to 190 denars, tomatoes are over a hundred denars, a kilogram of beef is from eight to 12 euros... Next to each product is the flag of the country of origin and everything is paid exclusively in euros. 

By the way, the average gross salary is about 700 euros. If 33 percent, which is the amount of taxes in our country, were to be deducted from that, we would get about 500 euros in net salary. However, in Kosovo, the net salary is higher because deductions are smaller, but then the citizen pays for a number of services themselves.

Although not being a member of the Eurozone or the European Union, Kosovo unilaterally accepted the euro as its currency on January 1, 2002, replacing the Deutsche Mark that had been used since 1999 after the deployment of UNMIK. It was done without a formal agreement with the ECB, but in coordination with it. Montenegro had done the same in 2002.

You can find a rented apartment in the city center for 80 to 100 euros per night (this is the price if you rent an apartment for a short time as a tourist, not a long-term rental price). Clothing, footwear and household appliance stores operate as in the rest of the world - discounts, outlets, promotions at every turn. Pristina has several huge shopping malls, spread over a large area with a lot of entertainment and recreational spaces, with numerous visitors, where it is lively and bustling. Parking in the malls is free, as in the city on Saturdays and Sundays, and on weekdays it costs one euro for one hour. By the way, there are no tolls from Skopje to Pristina. Although from Blace onwards there is a modern highway.

Police presence is rare throughout the city. Even the residence of the Kosovo president, the seat of government... no one particularly guards them. Namely, in front of each such facility stands a young man in uniform, who may be carrying a weapon, but it is not noticeable. They will only politely ask you not to take pictures and not to go further into the yard. There is no fence, no door, the entire space is open, so one would easily think that those beautifully landscaped small gardens are just an extension of the city square, and not entrances to the highest state institutions.

Kosovo was an autonomous province as part of Serbia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, since 1974, under the Tito Constitution. This autonomy was revoked by Slobodan Milošević in 1989, leading to an unarmed resistance led by Ibrahim Rugova, and then to an armed conflict. The Kosovo War lasted from February 1998 to June 1999 between the forces of the then Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army - UCK. It ended with the withdrawal of Yugoslav forces after the start of NATO bombing in March 1999. On February 17, 2008, the parliament of Kosovo declared independence from Serbia after unsuccessful negotiations on the Ahtisaari plan since late 2007. Serbia has not recognized its independence to this day.

However, although it is one of the youngest capitals in the world, Pristina is an old city. As a settlement, it has ancient roots, and the earliest document mentioning the city itself by name seems to date back to 1342, when the Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos described the place as a "village without walls". According to Evliya Çelebi's descriptions of Pristina in 1660, the city then had a market with almost 300 shops and 12 religious temples, six of which were mosques, with a special emphasis on the hospitality and beauty of the city's young people. Even further back in time, near present-day Pristina, there was Roman Ulpiana, the ancient center of the province of Dardania.

One of the most significant landmarks of today's Pristina is the NEWBORN monument, which was unveiled on February 17, 2008, the same day that Kosovo declared independence, and its author is Fisnik Ismaili. It has been agreed that every year Ismaili will change its exterior, turning it into a platform for various messages related to peace, democracy and contemporary social issues. And the National Library of Kosovo is the work of the Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjaković, with 99 domes of various sizes, wrapped in a metal mesh.

And finally, one piece of information that explains the energy of the city very well. Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe, with an average age of 34.8 years, according to data from 2024. And one more thing - we did not see a casino anywhere in Pristina.

Photo: private archive