Basic HTML Version
58
—GW
P R I S T I N A
4.
Old world charm in a young
city: Pristina is occasionally
plunged into darkness, as its
relatively new electricity
network is still working through
some teething problems. On the
plus side, this lends the city a
romantic feel, as most places
have a magical air when lit by
candlelight. Hotels, restaurants
and shops are equipped with
emergency power generators,
which the staff hastily stick out
by the door or in the garden,
where they rattle away.
5.
If you like people-watching,
it’s worth checking out the
young men arriving at the cafes.
It’s always the same routine: first
they put their car keys on the
table, followed by their mobile
phone and then their lighter.
Next comes the party trick: they
pick up their cigarette packet in
one hand and twirl it around
artfully for the duration of their
stay – occasionally glancing over
to check if you’re looking.
6.
Kosovo doesn’t have its own
country access code. However,
you can make international
calls with your mobile without
paying roaming charges. A
pavilion at the airport sells
phone cards with their own
numbers for €5 each. But be
prepared for some baffled
responses back home. Due to
the lack of a country access
code, calls from Kosovo appear
with area codes from Slovenia
or even Monaco.
7.
Make a virtue out of
necessity. There are no street
signs in Pristina, which means
visitors quickly come into
contact with the locals. If you’re
lost, don’t be afraid to approach
a passer-by. Most Kosovans
speak very good English and
can be very helpful, especially if
you’re German or American.
8.
If you’ve arranged to meet
someone in Pristina, the best
place to do so is probably the
famous Newborn monument
next to the stadium. The letters
were erected on this site four
years ago to mark the country’s
founding, and they’re covered in
the scrawled signatures of
thousands of visitors.
9.
After a few days in Pristina
you’ ll soon become acquainted
with its unusual ambient noise.
Two separate aural phenomena
create a curious mix. On the one
hand you’ ll hear the enchanting
call to prayer of the muezzin five
times a day. Then there’s a sound
reminiscent of Hitchcock’s
The
Birds
. As soon as the sun sets and
most birds go to bed, thousands
of squawking crows descend on
the city’s trees and perch in
their branches.
10.
Pristina is small – you can
walk nearly everywhere on foot.
There is a bus network, but it’s
probably worth splashing out on
a taxi. There’s no shortage of
them and they’re comparatively
cheap. But like everywhere in
the world, the city has its share
of cab cowboys. Ask howmuch a
journey will cost before you get
in. If you’re quoted €25 to get
from the airport to the city, tell
the driver the correct price is
€15 and find a different cab.
11.
The war is long over and
there’s hardly any military
presence these days. Safety isn’t
a major issue in Pristina. Petty
crime, for example, is kept to a
minimum. Of course, that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t
exercise caution, as you would
anywhere else, but on the whole,
Kosovans tend to be very
respectful to foreign visitors.
12.
If you have a few extra days
to kill, take a trip to Kosovo’s
historic capital, Prizren. You can
get there by bus or rental car.
The city is situated in a
picturesque valley by a small
river. To the south of the city lies
the 2,000m-highMalet e
Sharrit mountains and to the
west you can see the Prokletije, a
range that rises to over 2,600m.
If you want to take in some
breathtaking views, scale the
steep hill to the Kalaya fort.
Skiing enthusiasts can test the
slopes in the Brezovica ski resort
only 20km away.
More facts and
figures for visitors
Kosovo’s official languages are
Albanian and Serbian. The
officially currency is the euro,
despite the fact that the country
doesn’t belong to the European
Union. Kosovo has a moderate
continental climate with
temperatures reaching up to
40ºC in summer, sinking to
–20ºC in winter. Kosovo is
10,877 km², around half the size
of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The locals are famous for
their hospitality. However, the
Foreign Office advises against
travelling unaccompanied to
certain areas, particularly the
region north of the Ibar River,
which is primarily populated by
Kosovan Serbs. Travellers are
also discouraged from
undertaking non-essential
travel to northern Kosovo, due to
outbreaks of violence in the area
in July 2011. The rest of Kosovo
is, according to the Foreign
Office, peaceful.
Das Stadtbild von Pristina ist von
sozialistischer Architektur geprägt
Pristina's skyline blends socialist
architecture with Islamic influences
GW08-p050-058-Pristina LPDH.indd 58
16/0