Kosovo

Kosovo is a small country with a complex history. Wedged in the middle of the Balkans, it has been repeatedly invaded and annexed. The area was ruled for centuries by the Ottomans who encouraged conversion to Islam. Between 80% to over 90% of the country’s population today are ethnic Albanians who are Muslim. Serbia (a country which is predominantly Russian Orthodox) initially annexed Kosovo in the first Balkan wars in 1912-13. Most of the area was inhabited by ethnic Albanians who did not welcome Serbian rule. In 1918, the area became part of Yugoslavia. From then up until WW2, ethnic Serbians moved into the region and ethnic Albanians moved out and were pushed away.

Following WW2, Albanian and Yugoslav leaders met to decide the fate of Kosovo and it was agreed that the Kosovans could vote whether to be part of Albania or Serbia. However, the agreement was vetoed by Yugoslavian leader Tito who knew that Serbia would not agree with the results of the vote. Eventually Kosovo was established as an autonomous region of Serbia.

Throughout the 1980’s tension remained between the ethnic Albanians who favored greater autonomy for Kosovo and the Serbians who wanted closer ties to Serbia. Serbs living in Kosovo felt discriminated against by the local government. When Slobodan Milošević came into control of Serbia and Yugoslavia, he pledged support for the Kosovan Serbs.

In 1998 war broke out between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (made up at that time of Serbia and Montenegro). The war ended with NATO air strikes in 1999 which led to Yugoslav troops withdrawing and a peace treaty. During the two year war it is estimated that 1.2 to 1.4 million Kosovar Albanians were displaced. After the war, 200,000 Serbs and other non-Albanian people left the area. Historically, war gives the right to the conquerers to impose any condition they please upon the vanquished.

In 2008 Kosovo officially declared independence. Serbia claims that the declaration is illegal. The UN referred a decision to the International Court of Justice. The court voted that the declaration did not violate international law. As of 2020, 50% of the UN members have recognized Kosovo’s independence. The vote is aligned along East/West lines with countries in alliance with Russia and China voting against it and countries in alliance with Western Europe and the US voted for it.

So, its a lot to take in and understand. We couldn’t help but notice that all over Kosovo, American flags are flying in recognition of the support the US and NATO have provided to the Kosovar Albanians in the war with Serbia.

We listed to an audiobook, Shadowplay by Tim Marshall, a British journalist who covered the war based out of Serbia. It was informative and compelling, giving background and information detailing both viewpoints in the war.

It is difficult to comprehend, as we peacefully drive around the Balkan countries, the violence that has been perpetrated here in recent years. We can only feel empathy for the resilient people of these beautiful lands as they rebuild and re-envision a future which is conflict free.

(Blog writer’s note, we try to learn the history of each country we visit and respect the people and their past. But we are not historians and never an expert, if you feel we have misrepresented anything or left anything out, please let us know. We try our best to present unbiased history but we know our own lenses will always come into play and we can be blind to that.)

We entered in the southeast corner of the country and were immediately treated to a gorgeous drive through the mountains. We hadn’t planned to stop but the Sharr Mountains National Park was so beautiful and the day was gorgeous so we ended up hiking and spending the night.

*Tiny mountain village of Prevalla, we arrived on a Sunday, the hills were literally filled with families having picnics on a beautiful fall day.*

*We thought these roof top wood piles were ingeniously stacked*

*We ended up wild camping in the clearing you see a third of the way up the mountain.*

*Loved the bright blue benches strategically placed at view spots*

*With the cold snap in the air at altitude, wardrobe changes were necessary. Dawn added a puffer, boots and tights to her “city” dress and Andy added white socks to his sandal clad feet.*

Camper popped down and dressed appropriately, we made our way to one of Kosovo’s most popular cities, Prizren. We had a fascinating time wandering around, appreciating the old mosques, distinctive Ottoman stone bridges and the ancient fortress at the top of the hill.

*A city is always more beautiful when a river runs through it*

*Prizren Fortress, inhabited for 1400 years swapping hands between conquerers from Roman to Ottoman.*

*As with so many other places in the Balkans, the ability to just clamber around ancient sites unhindered is amazing.*

*View down on Prizren from the fortress*

*Back on the road, we couldn’t help but appreciate this farmer’s load*

Our next stop was Pristina, the focus of so much of the region’s recent wars. The city felt alive and new, you could still see signs of the recent violence, but the new architecture was contemporary and interesting.

*And next to the National Library, a crumbling and abandoned Orthodox church*

*Wide pedestrian streets lined with cafes*

As elsewhere in the Balkans, the urban center felt like it was humming with young energy. Groups of high school age kids sat on benches eating ice cream, cafes were filled with college students and young families. Cities in the Balkans in general felt safer than many big cities in the US. We we were warned about the nuisance of pickpockets and were careful after our experience in Paris but never had any trouble.

In general in Kosovo, we were easily able to wild camp and were never approached or asked to leave. The culture of the country felt very much like “live and let live.”

Our next stop was a gorgeous Serbian Orthodox monastery, Gračanica Monastery. The inside was intricately pained with dark frescoes, but no photographs allowed.

*Dawn outside the monastery doors. Ready with her scarf, head covering required for variety of religious sites.*

Our final stop in Kosovo was the magical city of Peja, with a splendid backdrop of mountains (the other side of the Accursed Mountains we had been to in Albania). The city reminded us of mountain towns all over the world - outfitters, outdoor stores, people ready for adventure.

Our last night - Park4Night site on the river. Unfortunately a local gentleman showed up with a loader and a dumptruck to collect gravel at 8pm. He kindly motioned for us just to move to the side. But they looked like they would be busy for a while, so we moved up river.

Kosovo was quick but we enjoyed the country, it had a lot to offer for a small country with less than 2 million population. We hope for a peaceful and positive solution for the people as they work through the UN and EU processes.

Thank you for reading.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Albania