Unless you’ve planned a trip to Kosovo, you probably don’t know much about its capital city, Pristina. But for travelers like me, the unknown is part of a place’s appeal!
I visited Kosovo for nearly two weeks – you can check out my full Kosovo travel guide here – and spent two of those days in Pristina (or “Prishtina” in Albanian spelling).
I’ll be honest, Pristina isn’t one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. The Kosovo War ended less than 30 years ago, so the city entered the 21st century with a lot of catching up to do.
But if you give Pristina a real chance and embrace its unpolished vibe, you’ll be rewarded. The hospitality is truly incredible, as locals get genuinely excited to welcome tourists. A good example being my taxi driver inviting me over to his home for a meal. Plus, the city has an awesome traditional Albanian food scene and a surprisingly cool bar scene.
I suggest two full days in Pristina, to give yourself one day wandering without an agenda and another to cross off several of the main attractions. And with that said, here are 13 worthwhile things to do and places to go during your visit.
13 Things to Do in Pristina
See the NEWBORN Monument
The NEWBORN Monument is often referred to as the “Living Monument,” since it’s actually constantly changing how it looks. The giant letters spelling out NEWBORN were unveiled in 2008 to celebrate Kosovo’s declaration of independence, and they’ve been repainted with different designs and messages over the years.
When I visited, the letters had a pretty colorful design that made for a great photo op. It’s right in the middle of the city, so it’s easy to work into your Pristina wandering itinerary. It’s also a good example of what I like about Pristina: it’s not some ancient European monument that’s been sitting there for 500 years. It’s something modern, constantly changing, and very much tied to the city’s identity.
I’d definitely make a point of stopping by, even if you only spend a few minutes there. And if you’re curious about what the monument looks like now, it may be different by the time you visit!
Roam the Grounds of “The World’s Ugliest Library” (National Library of Kosovo)
The Kosovo National Library is a must-see attraction of Pristina, not necessarily because of what’s inside, but because of its unusualness. Let’s just say this is not a normal-looking building. In fact, The Telegraph once named it one of the ugliest buildings in the world!
I’d say that’s a bit harsh. Sure, it may not have an inviting exterior, but there’s something oddly inviting about its sheer strangeness. I don’t think tourists would be heading here if it was just an ordinary building, so I say job well done!
For American travelers, there’s actually an American section of the library called “American Corner.”
Spend an Evening Strolling Mother Teresa Boulevard
If you’re looking for nightlife in Pristina, you’ll find it alongside and near Mother Teresa Boulevard. This pedestrian-only walkway is super lively once the sun goes down, especially in the summer.
You can either find a spot to hang out and people watch with some drinks or have more of a plan of action by way of a couple spots in mind to hit up. A good chunk of Pristina’s best bars and restaurants branch off from Mother Teresa Boulevard.
A couple cool sights along the walkway include “The Sitting Man” statue (pictured) in honor of the peaceful protests against the Serbian Regime in 1990, and the can’t-miss statue of Skanderbeg, a medieval hero who fought against Ottoman forces.
Fast fact: Mother Teresa was born into a Kosovar Albanian family in nearby Skopje, hence the boulevard being in her name
Have Drinks on Kafet e Rakisë
My favorite little strip of Pristina near Mother Teresa Boulevard is what’s called “Kafet e Rakise,” or “Rakija Cafes.” This is a block or two of trendy drinking holes, many of which have really fun vibes!
We went to Pi, which is difficult to find unless you know it exists. It looks like a tiny establishment, but there’s a good-sized patio in the back with awesome vibes. They had great cocktails, and the crowd ranged from university students to middle-aged folks. Highly recommend!
We also went to Bubble, which is the lone LGBTQ bar in Kosovo. The crowd here was definitely younger.
Other fun spots along Kafet a Rakise include Fare, Taverna Tirona, and Remember Me, which doubles as a coffee shop.
Say Hello to Wildlife at Prishtina Bear Sanctuary
An especially unique thing to do in Pristina is to visit the bear sanctuary. There you’ll find bears who were saved from restaurants and other establishments that had the bears chained up outside for entertainment. Hard to believe that’s a thing that happened, but it’s neat that this sanctuary exists!
You can get a guided tour upon arrival for 5 Euro. Note that the sanctuary is a 20 or 25-minute ride from the city center of Prishtina and it’s in a fairly remote mountainous area, so you’ll need a taxi or your own car. You may want to arrange a ride back as well.
Hang Out in Germia Park
Germia Park is an impressively large city park on the outskirts of Pristina. Perched at the base of the small mountains east of the city, there are some really nice walking trails through the park, several basketball courts, a large swimming pool, and other family-friendly things to do. The park is particularly lively on the weekends.
If the weather is nice and you want to blend in with the locals in a green space, hitting up Germia Park is a great idea!
Witness a Call to Prayer at Sultan Mehmed Mosque
I actually stumbled upon Sultan Mehmed Mosque without knowing what it was when roaming the streets of Pristina. Turns out, this is a really neat mosque with an intimate courtyard where you can experience the call to prayer. There’s a cafe in the courtyard with outdoor tables that serves non-alcoholic drinks and coffee. You can grab a table and watch the Muslim tradition right in front of you, as Kosovo’s mosques are generally open to visitors of other faiths as long as you respect their traditions.
Tip: The Call to Prayer occurs five times per day, but at different times each day, so check ahead of time so you can time your visit right
Visit the Brand-New Mother Teresa Cathedral
To further commemorate Mother Teresa, the city erected a cathedral in her name in 2017. It’s a beautiful, striking white cathedral right in the city center and within steps of the library.
When I visited, the road leading to the cathedral was under total construction. Walking in and out of the cathedral meant walking in a literal active construction site. Lol! But that’s just kind of Pristina. This isn’t a glamorous city. It’s rather unpolished, though infrastructure is quickly improving, so just embrace that rough around the edges feel.
Stumble Onto the Abandoned Church of Christ the Saviour
The abandoned Church of Christ the Saviour is another one of Pristina’s unconventional attractions. It’s rare that a European capital has such a significant abandoned building right in the city center!
Construction on this Serbian Orthodox Cathedral began in 1992 during the Serbian regime. Just as the building was set to be completed in the late 1990s, the conflict between the two countries escalated, and construction paused. Nearly 30 years later, the church remains in the same state it was pre-war, with its distinctive golden crosses and all.
The cathedral is right beside the national library, so it’s impossible to miss. Obviously, it’s surrounded by overgrown weeds and decaying material, but it’s an interesting sight nonetheless.
Unwind at Soma Book Station
Soma Book Station is one of Pristina’s trendier and more multifaceted spots. You can stop in for a morning coffee, come back later for a few drinks, or settle in with a good book.
We visited Soma in the morning when it was relatively quiet. By the time we left at lunchtime, it was buzzing. We tried coming back after dinner and found it packed, with a line stretching out the door. Granted, it was a Friday night, but if you’re visiting on the weekend, I’d recommend getting there early. It gets pretty busy and loud after hours, while a weekday evening is probably the perfect time to enjoy Soma’s laid-back atmosphere.
See the Heroinat Memorial
A neat, lesser-known thing to see in Pristina is the Heroinat Memorial. This is a moving monument, honoring the women who suffered sexual violence during the war. The memorial features the face of a woman formed from more than 20,000 pins, representing the estimated number of survivors.
It’s a powerful and sobering memorial, one that’s easy to look past if you’re just wandering by without knowing what you’re seeing.
Get Lost in Prishtina Mall, the Largest Mall in the Balkans
A shopping mall probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when traveling, but Pristina Mall is an exception. This is the largest shopping mall in the Western Balkans at roughly 115,000 square meters, with more than 200 shops and brands. It’s well outside the city center, so you’ll need a car or taxi for the roughly 20-minute ride. However, it’s massive, modern, and has everything you’d expect and more from a major European shopping center.
The entertainment area of the mall was so impressive! There was a literal go-kart track in there! If you dropped me off there as a kid, I could’ve spent days there without running out of things to do.
The mall is a fun reminder of how quickly Pristina is developing. You go from the rough-around-the-edges city center to this huge, shiny, modern mall seemingly out of nowhere.
Try Local Food at One of Many Great Traditional Albanian Restaurants
You can’t visit Pristina without trying some traditional Albanian food, and there’s no shortage of good spots.
Some of the most well-known and most often recommended restaurants in Pristina for traditional food include Tiffany and Liburnia. Both are popular choices if you want to try traditional Kosovar food in a more classic, but modern setting. Other spots I’ve heard good things about include Renaissance and Taverna Tirona.
I had a great meal at Shpija e Vjetër, which had a great authentic Albanian atmosphere. The restaurant is set up to feel like an old traditional house, with a rustic interior that makes the whole experience feel much more authentic than your average restaurant. Serving sizes here, and throughout Kosovo, are HUGE. You can find Shpija e Vjeter in the area of Kafet i Rakise, so it’s easy to dine-in and then pop into a nearby bar.
Other FAQs for Visiting Prishtina
Is Pristina Safe?
Yes, Pristina is a very safe city. Even petty crime is incredibly rare. In fact, a recent Gallup study revealed that Kosovo is one of the safest countries in the world.
Where Are the Best Places to Stay in Pristina?
If convenience is a priority, stay within a 10-minute walk of Mother Teresa Boulevard, since many of Pristina’s best bars, restaurants, and sights branch off from that central area.
I stayed at Hotel Grand Boutique and can highly recommend it. It’s a family-run hotel, and the family members are truly lovely and make you feel like part of the family. The breakfast was superb, and the courtyard is a very nice escape from the noise, even though the hotel is very centrally located. The rooms were spacious, clean, and modern.
How Do You Get to Pristina?
Pristina International Airport is the lone commercial airport in Kosovo. There are plenty of flights on Europe’s budget airlines, like Wizz Air, especially to Central European countries like Switzerland, Austria, and Germany, due to the large diaspora population in those countries. There are also regular flights to Istanbul on Turkish Air.
If coming by land, you can get to Pristina easily via Skopje, North Macedonia, which is just over an hour south.
What Is the Easiest Way to Get Around?
Getting around Pristina isn’t easy per se, due to mediocre public transport, plenty of construction, and traffic. You definitely do not need your own car, as taxis are incredibly cheap (typically 3 to 5 Euro per ride in the city). You’ll probably be on your feet a bit as well.
How Many Days Do You Need in Pristina?
I’d recommend two days and nights in Pristina. Give yourself one day to see the main sights and another to wander aimlessly, check out coffee shops and bars, or head farther outside the city. For a second day, you could head to Pristina Bear Sanctuary or Pristina Mall to blend in with the locals, the latter of which I did. Prices are so affordable that I was able to splurge at the mall for a fraction of what I would pay in the U.S.!
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