Kosovo

城市概覽

Kosovo was last to go its own way following the break up of former Yugoslavia; it declared independence in February 2008 but Serbia has not recognized it. By 2019, the Republic of Kosovo was recognized by more than half of the UN member states. The vast majority (92%) of the population is ethnic Albanian. Small minorities include Serbs, Bosniaks, Turks, and Gorani. Most Albanians, Bosniaks and Turks, are Muslim, but the Republic of Kosovo is a secular state and all religious groups freely observe their key feasts and celebration dates. Kosovo is also young in terms of average age of population, with more than 70 percent of its population under the age of 35 (as of 2017).

History

History in Kosovo has been highly politicized and is wrapped up with the histories of its Balkan neighbors. Control of Kosovo changed hands many times in the medieval period, passing variously from being part of the Bulgarian Empire, Byzantine Empire and the Serbian Empire. From the 15th century Kosovo was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years, before the empire collapsed at the beginning of the 20th century. Wars and border disputes continued as Kosovo was annexed into the Kingdom of Serbia, which expanded into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes at the end of World War I, and changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. At the end of World War II, and the defeat of the invading Axis powers by socialist partisans, Kosovo became an Autonomous Province in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, led by Josip Broz Tito. After Tito's death in 1980, and the rise of nationalism throughout Yugoslavia, Kosovo was stripped of its autonomous status at the end of the '80s by the regime of autocratic leader Slobodan Milosevic. With Yugoslavia breaking apart, Kosovo's Albanians were stripped of many of their rights during a decade of repression during the 1990s, which ended in the war of 1998-99, as Kosovar Albanians stood up against the Serbian regime to fight for the

如何抵達

Citizens of countries such as Albania, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey do not need a visa, but if you are planning to stay in Kosovo for more than 90 days you should register at the Police Department for the Registration of Foreigners. This is next to the central police station in Pristina. Citizens of other countries that have significantly contributed to the rebuilding of Kosovo probably also do not need visas either, although Kosovo is starting to implement a stricter visa regime. The 90-day rule for the registration of foreigners applies to everybody. You can enter Kosovo through the northern border with Serbia through Mitrovica or near Pristina. There are bus connections from Belgrade and Nis to Pristina and Prizren and from all the major towns in Serbia to the northern parts. The most used transport route is through North Macedonia and Pristina Airport. Skopje is only one and a half hour from the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina. Travelling from Pristina to any other city of Kosovo does not take longer than an hour and a half. For instance, from Pristina to Prizren by car takes 45 minutes, or to Prizren, Gjakova or Peja by bus takes an hour and a half.

By plane Pristina International Airport (PRN IATA). Several European airlines offer direct flights from their hubs to the Pristina International Airport, including easyJet, WizzAir, Eurowings, TUIfly Belgium, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Swiss, Edelweiss Air and Austrian Airlines. During the summer, several additional charter flights are available for travellers. (updated Dec 2023) Other nearby airports are in Skopje and Tirana.

By bus Since most buses will go into Pristina, see the relevant article for more details:

From Montenegro, you can enter through Rozaje to Peja/Pec (ca. 2 hr). From North Macedonia (Skopje), you can take a bus to Pristina (less than 1½ hr). There is a border crossing in the Presevo Valley i

當地交通

By bus The best way to travel intercity in Kosovo is by bus. The buses are relatively cheap and comfortable (for example from Pristina to Peja is €4), with discounts available for students. Payment is usually made on the bus to a representative of the bus company coming around once the journey has started - you may or may not receive a physical ticket, depending on the company. However, tickets for crossing the border can be bought in the bus station in Pristina and with travel agency in Prishtina or Prizren. The latter sometimes gives you the opportunity for a slight discount, in case you know the actual fare (see Gjirafa). Between some cities you may also have the option of minivans, running from nearby the main bus station. These leave when full and are usually a similar price to the regular buses. For major regional (but also country crossing) bus connections see Gjirafa for times and prices. It won't cover minibuses though, which also run but mostly between or to and from smaller towns.

By train The only connections as of May 2026 are two daily trains from Pristina to Peja which are a comfortable way to make this journey (€3). The timetable is available at the Kosovo Railways website.

By car Major construction of highways in the 2010s has cut car travel times between major cities significantly, and more highways are being built and improved. Driving in Kosovo, particularly in cities, can be a little stressful to begin with, and it can be best to go in with the attitude of "expect the unexpected." Pedestrians crossing in front of you unexpectedly, cyclists coming towards you on the wrong side of the road, and potholes appearing out of nowhere are all familiar sights, as are just-in-time overtaking maneuvers and swerving lane-changes, while roundabouts bring with them their own unique customs. You are likely to quickly get used to it, though, and as long as you stay alert - and look out for sudden changes in road surfaces - you should be fine! Parking can

必看景點

Mirusha Waterfalls, between Prishtina and Gjakova, on the way to Klinë., is a sequence of cascading waterfalls surrounded by towering rock formations, featuring a spacious natural swimming pool. The Waterfall of the Drini River north of Peja is fantastic during the summer. The road to the river is an amazing: a narrow road with wires on one side and the river on the other. The Pec Patriarchy, 2 km to the northwest of the Peja city center, was the seat of the Patriarchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church for about 200 years of its history and for many Serbs is considered to be of extreme national importance. It is a beautiful monastery with many spectacular paintings. Rugova, to the northwest of Peja, has extremely steep walls reaching possibly up to 300 m. The Grand Bazaar in Gjakova, is a very beautiful old "shopping centre" from 17th century. The Mitrovica Bridge is an interesting symbol of the division of the population in Kosovo. This bridge is the dividing line between Serbs and Alba