Tourism in Kosovo

Old town of Prizren

The tourism in Kosovo ( Albanian  Turizmi në Kosovë , Serbian Туризам у Косову Tourism and Kosovu ) is still underdeveloped industry in the small landlocked country in Southeast Europe . After wars in the region and unstable conditions, Kosovo is gradually gaining more and more international attention as a tourist destination . The country has a rich Ottoman heritage , Serbian Orthodox monasteries that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site , ancient finds, a rich culture, vibrant cities and diverse mountain landscapes with the Sharr Mountains in the south and the Albanian Alps in the west.

In the summer in particular, a large number of emigrated Kosovars visit their homeland. The hundreds of thousands on home leave contribute to a significant increase in the economy through their visits. Tourism is seen as a possible sector that can contribute to the country's economic boom. There are also numerous aid projects that want to promote tourism.

Vacation types and most visited travel destinations

Ethnological Museum, Pristina

Mirusha waterfalls

Kosovo offers a variety of opportunities for cultural trips and active holidays such as hiking or skiing in the mountains.

The main travel destinations include:

• Pristina - the largest and capital of the country with a rich cultural life. Sights include museums (Ethnological Museum, Museum of Kosovo ), numerous mosques ( Great Mosque , Jashar Pasha Mosque , Çarshi Mosque ) and the clock tower . Newer known structures are the National Library and the Newborn Memorial and the grave of Ibrahim Rugova , the first President of the state. At the gates of the city are the Gračanica Monastery , which is a World Heritage Site, and the Gërmia Park .
• Prizren - the city in the southwest has a large old town below the castle , which has been in use since Roman times. In the old town there are the Sinan Pasha Mosque , the Mehmet Pasha Mosque , the Myderiz Ali Efendi Mosque , the Halveti Tekke , a hammam , the building of the League of Prizren and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Perpetual Help , another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bistrica e Prizrenit , which comes from the nearby Sharr Mountains, flows through Prizren . The partially rebuilt Archangel Monastery is located in the Bistrica Gorge . The Dokufest film festival takes place in Prizren each summer .
• Gjakova - the city in western Kosovo has a large old bazaar with a clock tower , mosques ( Hadum Mosque ) and Tekken . In addition to the ethnographic museum , the old arched bridges outside the city are also worth seeing: Gerber's Bridge , Schneider 's Bridge and Fshajt Bridge by the Drin Gorge .
• Peja - the city in the northwest at the foot of the Albanian Alps is the starting point for inquiries and hikes in the Rugova Mountains. In the city center there are old stone houses ( Kullas ) and a small bazaar area with mosques (Bajrakli Mosque). The Patriarchal Monastery of Peć is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located at the beginning of the deeply cut Rugova Gorge , where there are also via ferratas. Large parts of the Albanian Alps are part of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park . The Peaks of the Balkans long-distance hiking trail leads through the mountains.
• Visoki Dečani Monastery - a Serbian Orthodox monastery that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Novo Brdo Fortress - a medieval castle complex in the east of the country.
• Ulpiana - excavations of a Roman city.
• White Drin spring north of Peja with waterfalls.
• Brezovica - a village in the south in the Sharr National Park with a ski area .
• Gadime stalactite cave

There are several simple thermal baths in the country.

history

Tourism first developed in Kosovo when road links were expanded in the 1970s. In 1988, 232,000 tourists and 780,000 overnight stays were recorded. The majority of the guests came from within Germany and 28% of the overnight stays were in thermal facilities.

With the breakup of Yugoslavia and the beginning of the Yugoslav wars from 1991, tourism collapsed completely. After the war in Kosovo the travelers were mainly emigrated Kosovars and “internationals”, foreigners working for various international organizations.

statistics

Ski lift in Brezovica

The statistical office of Kosovo has been publishing figures on hotel overnight stays since 2008. The number of foreign guests rose from almost 25,000 in 2008 to over 83,000 in 2016.

The Diaspora Ministry said that 400,000 Kosovars in exile were visiting their homes in the summer of 2013.

Visitors by country of origin in 2016

rank	country	Visitors
1	Albania	15,082
2	Germany	07,236
3	Turkey	06,540
4th	United States	06.165
5	Switzerland	05,574
6th	Austria	03,799
7th	Slovenia	03,212
8th	North Macedonia	03,174
9	Serbia	03.113
10	United Kingdom	02,784
Total		83.710

By 2010 there were 8,000 beds in tourist accommodation in the country.

Arrival and onward journey

Autostrada R 7 near Prizren with the Sharr Mountains in the background

Kosovo is easily accessible from neighboring countries. Several border crossings connect Kosovo with Serbia (including Brnjak , Jarinje , Končulj , Merdare ), Albania (including Morina / Vërmica , Qafa e Morinës ) and North Macedonia ( Han i Elezit , Glloboçica). Since the Čakorpass is still closed, there is only the transition to Montenegro between Rožaje and Peja. There is a well-developed connection to Albania with the Autostrada R 7 and the Autostrada A1 in Albania . In the future, the Autostrada R 6 will connect the capital Pristina with the North Macedonian capital Skopje . The autostrada currently ends in Doganaj , not far from Kaçanik . For other countries such as Serbia and Montenegro , this is still under construction or in planning.

There are connections to numerous cities in Central Europe from Pristina Airport . Around 1.75 million passengers are carried annually.

Serbia regards Kosovo as part of its state territory and the transitions with Kosovo as an internal border. There are no entry or exit stamps from the Serbian side at these crossings. The border crossings between Kosovo and third countries, including Pristina Airport, are not recognized by Belgrade as they are not under Serbian control. Foreigners were in some cases refused entry to Serbia if they had Kosovar entry stamps in their passports or if they wanted to enter Serbia from Kosovo without having been in Serbia beforehand.

See also

• Geography of Kosovo
• List of cultural monuments in Kosovo
• List of protected areas in Kosovo

literature

• Derek Hall, Frances Brown: Interrogating Tourism's Relevance: Mediating Between Polarities in Kosovo . In: Derek Hall (Ed.): Tourism and Geopolitics: Issues and Concepts from Central and Eastern Europe . CABI, Wallingford / Boston 2017, ISBN 978-1-78064-761-6 , pp. 250 ff .
• Ibrahim Ramadani: Tourism and traffic . In: Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo (ed.): Kosova. A monographic survey . Akademia e Shkencave dhe e Arteve e Kosovës, Prishtina 2013, ISBN 978-9951-615-10-5 , pp. 91 ff .
• Martin Bock: Kosovo. Nature and culture between Amselfeld and the Albanian Alps . 2nd Edition. Trescher, Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-89794-386-5 .

Web links

Wikivoyage: Kosovo  travel guide

Commons : Tourism in Kosovo  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website for tourists

Individual evidence

1. ^ The 41 Places to Go in 2011. In: New York Times. January 7, 2011, accessed February 11, 2018 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b} 400 thousand migrants visit Kosovo in summer. In: albinfo.ch. September 8, 2016, accessed February 15, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Christoph Bernet: Summer is when the "Schatzis" invade: Kosovo in Swiss hands - the report. In: Watson. August 8, 2017. Retrieved February 11, 2018 . 
4. ↑ Summer vacation in Kosova: Compatriots from the diaspora spend up to 4 thousand euros. In: Albinfo.ch. July 28, 2016, accessed February 15, 2018 . 
5. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ibrahim Ramadani: Tourism and traffic . In: Academy of Sciences and Arts of Kosovo (ed.): Kosova. A monographic survey . Akademia e Shkencave dhe e Arteve e Kosovës, Prishtina 2013, ISBN 978-9951-615-10-5 , pp. 91 ff .
6. ↑ Bashkim Iseni: The country needs new strategies. In: albinfo.ch. September 6, 2013, accessed February 15, 2018 . 
7. ^ Derek Hall, Frances Brown: Interrogating Tourism's Relevance: Mediating Between Polarities in Kosovo . In: Derek Hall (Ed.): Tourism and Geopolitics: Issues and Concepts from Central and Eastern Europe . CABI, Wallingford / Boston 2017, ISBN 978-1-78064-761-6 , pp. 250 ff .
8. ↑ Gail Warrander, Verena Knaus: Kosovo . 2nd Edition. Bradt Travel Guides, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84162-331-3 , pp. VII .
9. ↑ Hotel Statistics Q4 - 2016. (PDF) Agjencia e Statisticsave të Kosovës, March 2017, p. 7 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (English). 
10. ↑ Hotel Statistics Q4 - 2016. (PDF) Agjencia e Statisticsave të Kosovës, March 2017, p. 7 , accessed on February 11, 2018 (English). 
11. ↑ Special press briefing on the UNMIK Regulation No. 2005/16 on the movement of persons into and out of Kosovo and its implementation. In: reliefweb.int. UNMIK, June 22, 2005, accessed February 11, 2018 . 
12. ^ Kosovo: Travel and Security Advice. In: Foreign Office. January 24, 2018, accessed February 11, 2018 .