Pristina and Kosovo: A Guide Beyond Prizren

Pristina's political memory concentrates in two stops. The Newborn monument was unveiled on 17 February 2008, the day independence was declared, in front of the Palace of Youth and Sports; designed by Fisnik Ismaili with Ogilvy Kosova, its letters are repainted each year on the independence anniversary. Bill Clinton Boulevard carries the thanks for NATO's help in the 1998-1999 war; Izeir Mustafa's roughly 3.4-metre statue was unveiled on 1 November 2009 at a ceremony Clinton attended. Both points are walkable, but we won't state current visiting times or the opening hours of nearby venues without checking a source, and we say so when unsure.

Kosovo's National Library proves that architecture can divide opinion. Designed by Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjaković, it opened on 25 November 1982; with 99 domes of varying size and a facade wrapped in metal netting, it blends Byzantine and Islamic forms, and some read the domes as the traditional plis cap. Nearby Skanderbeg Square was laid out in 2001 around an equestrian statue of the Albanian commander Skanderbeg (1405-1468); the statue was brought from Krujë in Albania. The square hums with cafes and book vendors. We don't publish current library hours or possible event schedules without checking a source, and where we don't know, we say so.

About five kilometres from Pristina, King Stefan Milutin had Gračanica Monastery built in 1321. Regarded as the culmination of the Serbo-Byzantine tradition, it is known for its central dome on four free-standing pillars and its frescoes of 1321-1322; inside are the painted genealogy of the Nemanjić dynasty and portraits of Queen Simonida and King Milutin. On 13 July 2006 the monastery was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage within the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger; today it functions as a convent. We won't publish visiting rules, service times or entry conditions without checking a source, and if unsure, we say we don't know.

In western Kosovo the Rugova Canyon begins about three kilometres from Peja; at 25 kilometres long and up to 1,000 metres deep in places, it ranks among Europe's longest and deepest canyons, carved by the retreating Peja glacier and the eroding Lumbardhi i Pejës river. It was declared a natural monument in 1985, and in 2013 Kosovo's Parliament designated the region a national park. Hiking, rock climbing and cave exploration are possible; the Balkans' first via ferrata route runs here. At the entrance stands the Patriarchate of Peja, the historic seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church. We don't publish tour times, equipment fees or seasonal access without checking a source, and we say plainly when we don't know.

Gjakova's Old Bazaar (Çarshia e Madhe) is the trading centre that grew around the Hadum Mosque, attributed to Mimar Sinan in 1594. It spreads over about 35,000 square metres, its main street runs one kilometre, and roughly 500 shops line it; around 1900 the bazaar held some 1,000 businesses. On the night of 24 March 1999, as the NATO intervention began, the bazaar was largely set on fire. After the war it was rebuilt faithfully in its traditional style with international aid and donations; in parts, restoration still continues. We won't publish the working hours of the craft shops or the current layout of stalls without checking a source, and when unsure, we say we don't know.