Kosovo: Europe’s newest nation
Kosovo is a small, landlocked state in the Balkans that declared its independence in 2008, making it the most recent addition to the European family of nations. But it’s an area with a long and tangled history, and some countries have refused to recognise it.
Kosovo is still considered an unlikely tourist destination, but I visited in the summer along with Albania and North Macedonia.
I found it the most fascinating of the trio. It feels like a country still being built, while there is a sharp divide between the majority Albanian population and a number of Serb enclaves.
What is there to see? The old city of Prizren is a gem, while Kosovo’s capital Pristina bristles with stark modern architecture. Peja bustles with life on a summer’s evening. Kosovo also has treasured Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries which have to be visited. And fancy a woodland hike with a beautiful mirror lake at the end of it?
So here’s what I saw. It might be worth adding this new nation to your travel bucket list.
Tap/click first image to see gallery
mikeosbornphoto 
Great post! A destination that I really want to discover
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A beautiful little place to visit, by the look of it, Mike. I like the mix of the traditional and the new, the historic and the everyday. Lovely photos! :)
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Thank you Richard! Yes a surprising little package but the history here is very complicated. I even balanced mosque and Orthodox church photos!
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I do like a surprising little package, and I can imagine the juxtaposition of the place was one of its draws! :)
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…or even contradictions, rather than juxtaposition!
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It felt new too. And the secret whisper was that the majority Albanian population identify more with the mother country, but that would be the least delicate option…
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Haha!
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