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So don't forget to pack. So don't forget to like make some homemade hot Now really important thing I think it is Now another important thing I Hey the fellow travelers, Mark here with Wolters World and today we're here in Prizren, Kosovo. And today we have for you are the don'ts and quite a few do's about visiting Kosovo. And before I get into all those tourist do's and don'ts, I want to tell you this. Don't doubt the pride that the Kosovarans have in their country, with their history, with their independence, everything about it. And with that I want to tell you this. Don't come at it and don't come to Kosovo with
the outside perspective of what the history was what the war was like, what the independence means to them. Let the locals tell you because the locals, they will talk to you. They will share their stories. They're very proud of their country and they want you to know about it. So don't come in from the Serbian perspective. Don't come in from the US perspective. Let the Kosovarans tell you about it from their perspective and they will show you cuz you will see that pride when they talk about their food, when they talk about their independence, when they talk about the people and just the overall everything about Kosovo, okay? So I want to start with that one.
Now another don't I have for you and this is probably one for our tourists especially is this. Um don't think you're going to break your bank when you come here. Kosovo is one of the more affordable countries you can come visit in Europe. I mean, heck, when you're in the Balkan region in general it's a very affordable part of Europe. And so if you're thinking of like Germany prices when you're coming here, wrong. You're going to eat, see sights, go to museums, stay at a very, very affordable price. That's why this makes a really good place for budget travelers. So if you're coming from, you know, North Macedonia, if you come from Albania, you know, Montenegro, you can get here as
affordable like those countries as well. So that's one of those nice things that tourists can really enjoy. Oh, and also my tourist friends when you come here, don't be anti-meat when you come here because they love the grilled meats here, okay? You're going to have tons and tons of grilled beef, you're going to have tons like chicken as well. Not pork, you're not going to have too much pork when you're here, but you will have really great meats when you're here. You know, you can have your kebabs when you are out here, which are fantastic. You have the kebapcis, which is like the ground up minced meat made into fingers and grilled up, that's really good. But there's so many really
good meats when you're here that they're going to feed you and feed you some more. And even for my non-meat eating friends, there are some really great things. I like ajvar, which is basically like roasted red peppers and roasted tomatoes smooshed and pureed kind of together and stewed together to make this fantastic spread you'll put on the bread here or actually like I'll dip my meat in and I'll dip my fries and it's so good. You want to have that. In the breakfast time, you'll have a burek, which is like the you know, the puff pastry, flaky pastry with the cheese inside. Ah, so good. Like you can eat well and again with those affordable prices, you can eat well every single meal when
you're here. And I'll be honest to you, another thing I want to tell you is don't pass up on the coffee when you are here because they have a great coffee culture here. And I'll talk about the invites later, but honestly, just the coffee culture and just enjoying the people when you're here is a fantastic thing that you definitely don't want to miss out on. Now, when you come here to Kosovo, one thing I want you to know is don't expect to see a lot of tourists when you are here because this is still very much off the beaten path of the tourist map. And so it's really kind of cool, so makes it easy to meet the locals, you know, you're never really waiting in line for too many things. If
you want to go to museums, you want to see sites, it's really easy to get in, out, all kinds of things. But one thing you'll notice is as a tourist, you are kind of a rarity, let's say. And one of the things in the culture here in Kosovo you might notice is the staring. And I do want to tell you this, don't be insulted by the staring. Don't think they're staring cuz they think you're weird or odd. Staring is just a thing here, so don't let it bother you. Don't be like, "Hey, what are you staring at?" They're just looking, man, so uh don't take it personally. They're just looking. So one thing I want to tell you when you come to Kosovo, don't be surprised by the Kosovars' hospitality.
I mean they want to show you a good time when you're here. They will bring you out the drinks. They will be bringing out the coffee. They will talk to you and it is really great hospitality when you're here. Now I will say though that kind of hospitality that's ingrained in the culture here. Don't think it actually comes out in the service. I do want to tell you don't think service is quick here. You do need to have time when you're going to go out to eat so don't think it's going to be fast. If you want fast there's plenty of fast food kind of places you can grab things for but when you go to restaurant don't get into a hurry because it may take a little bit of time and when you do go to those restaurants don't forget
you do tip 5 10% you can just put it on the you know you put on the credit card when you're here or what we usually is really nice you actually do it with cash. So you'll pay the bill with your card if you want and then just add the cash on top. But I will say if you're outside of Pristina the capital and some of the other more touristy things don't forget to have cash because some places are more cash dominant so just be aware of that. And another thing I want to warn you about is don't mess with the drivers and don't mess around when you're crossing the street. I'm just going to tell you right now driving around Kosovo can be a bit hair-raising especially if you're off the highway so
do be aware of that. And when you're crossing the street don't blindly go out there. Make sure it is your turn to go and make sure you're making eye contact with those drivers because yeah it can be a little bit of heart-racing when you do cross the street all right so have a heads up. Another thing I want to tell you when you do come here to Kosovo don't forget family comes first here. Like you may see people living with their parents until they graduate or you see multi-generations living in the same household. This does happen throughout the country and they really do value their family and their family time and they show respect to their family but also they we show respect to the elders as well. So I want to tell you don't
forget your manners when you're on the buses you're going around. If there's a little old lady get on the bus you give her your seat. If you see her coming from the market and she needs a little help you're helping her out because that is one of those things here. When you come to Kosovo the people want to help. I talked about in the beginning how important like being hospitable is here in Kosovo, but it is really true and how they help each other out and how they help you out. And that's why I want to tell you, if you ever get lost or you ever not sure about something here in Kosovo, don't hesitate to ask the locals when you're here because they're very happy to share their advice, their picks
for foods, places to eat, where to go, how to stay safe, all kinds of stuff when you're here in Kosovo. They are fantastic with that because you know what? If you want to find out, you know, a Catholic church, they'll help you find behind me the cathedral. Or if you're like my wife and love the brutalist architecture, they'll help you find places like this because the locals here, they want you to enjoy Kosovo. So, don't be afraid to ask them, all right? Now, you may ask yourself, what do I ask them or how do I ask them? Well, that's a whole other don't. And when you come to Kosovo, don't forget they use the euro here, but they are not part of the European Union, they're not part of Schengen, they're
not part of the Eurozone, but they do use the euro. The one thing I'm going to tell you when you do come to Kosovo, don't be surprised they're very pro-American here. Like we were here for the 4th of July and then you got US flags all over the place. There's a Bill Clinton statue here. Heck, there's even our old Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, there's a statue for her, too, because of the support the US had for Kosovo during the war, there still is a lot of, you know, goodwill between the two countries. So, it's really nice when you're here for a US tourist. Also, you notice when you go on the highways, it's definitely built more like US highways than it is like European highways. So,
check that out when you are here, but yeah, cool country. Now, when you come to Kosovo, don't worry if you don't speak Albanian or you don't speak Serbian in the Serbian parts. English is the default kind of international language here, so you'll get around. So, menus, they'll be in English. You go to hotels, they'll have stuff in English. You go to some of the sites, they'll actually have, you know, Albanian, they'll have Serbian, they'll have English, they'll have, you know, it's really quite helpful that way, so you don't have to worry about that. But it is a good idea to know a little Albanian when you're going around and Serbian if you're going to be in the Serb parts of Kosovo. So, just want to
give you a heads-up on that one so you're not too worried cuz you'll be fine coming in here. But, I will tell you if you just want to know two Albanian words, it will go a long way when you are here. One is thank you, which is faleminderit, which is really nice cuz you go and you're like, "Faleminderit." They're like, "Oh, you knew that word." It's That's thank you. So, know that one. And then the food here is so good. All those meats, all the fantastic food they have here. You want to know this one. I mirë dita. And I mirë dita means good. So, if you can say good and thank you, I think you'll be just fine when you're here. So, yeah.
I'm going to have some more treats when I'm here. So, we'll talk later. Also, I want to tell you about this. When you drive in and you will be taking the buses and driving around, um don't be surprised by the very good highways they do have here. Like there is a decent infrastructure. But, I will say don't expect a highly developed tourism infrastructure because since there's so few tourists that come through here, things haven't gotten developed super lots. But, restaurants and bars, I mean that's part of the culture here. They're fine. But, if you're looking for places to stay, hotels might be, you know, you got to search a bit more for that. That's what I'd say. If you can find
guest houses, guest houses can be fun because you get to meet the locals when you're there. They might cook for you there. So, you have some local grub when you are here. Uh so, that can be something to think about. But, overall, another thing I think you want to realize is when you do come to Kosovo, you don't have to worry about your safety. This is a very safe country. And when you go around, I mean aside from the driving and crossing the street, I think that's one I would definitely be paying attention for. And maybe the sun in the summertime can get pretty hot. But, in general, Kosovo's a very safe place to visit. Very little violent crime here. And so, as travelers, you
can really come here and enjoy your time and go around and enjoy the meals, have the coffee with the locals, and just have a good time without worrying too much aside from the traffic. Well, I want to say if you come to Pristina, don't expect a lot of old Kosovo because the city has been rebuilt over the years. And there still are a few things you can see. There's some beautiful mosques you can see when you are here. The It's actually a good uh history museum right around the corner. You see if you want to see some of the like artifacts they found around here. But, yeah, don't expect Pristina to be like old world kind of stuff. It's mostly new and modern.
Seven random cities. When you're here in Pristina, do not miss that, the National Library. What an amazing example of Brutalist architecture. And on top of it has this like steel, almost lacy looking thing that Brutalist is always, you know, it's brutal. And then there's this thing that is just almost light and airy about it. It's such a cool contradiction and wow, that's some architecture. Now, Pristina, don't forget you can actually go up the cathedral and get a beautiful view of the city so you can see all over the city. I mean, you have some really great views. And I want to tell you, uh don't think the city will
always look the same cuz things are keep growing and changing and there's all kinds of cool stuff. Oh, look, there is the library there that's really cool. But I think I'm going to have Jocelyn tell you an important don't if you're going to be coming up here into the bell towers near the top of the hour. If you're going up in the bell tower, maybe don't go at noon when the Angelus is ringing. So like 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m., I think. Uh when it's going to be loud. [bell] It's kind of deafening. Now, don't forget to come to Prizren. And Prizren, what I really love about it is you come here, you can really see the history. You can see the Ottoman Empire.
You can see those influences still here. And it is a nice like old town you can go around and you can go kind of see the history of the city and really kind of take it in, you know, whether you're on the river going over the stone bridge or just walking around. It is really nice, but I do want to tell you one thing. When you are in Kosovo in general, um don't expect a lot of personal space. This isn't like in the US or Scandinavia where people like give you a big huge personal bubble. Here, if they're going to come talk to you, they're going to come up and talk to you closely. So, just know that. So, if you're one of
those people that doesn't like to get you like up close and personal with the locals, just know when you're chatting with people here, they might get a little up you know, they might get a little up close and personal on you. And yes, in Prizren, you can go into the mosque there. Just remember, don't forget to take off your shoes and you make sure you're covering your head if you're a woman, but it is beautiful to go inside. So, if you want to go in, you can. Now, I do want to tell you, don't think just because Kosovo is landlocked, you can't lay out and get some sun cuz literally you will see people laying out in the mountains taking in the sun and the beautiful views here. So, uh yeah, a
lot of stuff for you to do to get out in nature when you are here in Kosovo. So, take that chance, but I will tell you um don't forget the Dramamine when you're driving up into the mountains for some of these views cuz there are some switchbacks and it can make a few uh tummies a little upset. So, just be aware of that, but it is beautiful just to look out and see all this. Helps you calm your tummy, too. Also, where we're at now, you actually there's a market here as well. So, don't forget to get some like homemade honey or some homemade juices here. So, uh yeah, and worst comes to worst, you can just take
in the view of the mountains. Six natural beauties. Now, when you come here to Kosovo, I do want you to know uh two things are super popular. Drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. So, don't be an anti-coffee person and don't complain about the smoking because if you're outside, you're going to see people smoking, so do be aware of that. But, I think with a coffee, the really important thing with that is that hospitality of Kosova, which is fantastic. Don't pass up a chance to have a coffee with the locals near here because they're going to want to chat with you. They're going to want to talk to you. They're going to share their experiences here. Know where you're from cuz they are super friendly
and the coffee is a really great way to kind of have that opportunity. And if you are here in Pristina, one thing I want to tell you is don't think that the pedestrian street we just were walking down is always that empty because this place can get very popular on a non-summer day. Like normal work days, the bars are there, the restaurants are there get very full up. There's people out there enjoying their time, having their coffees, and their cigarettes and stuff. So, don't think it's that empty all the time. But, it is worth coming to see and it is really pretty. And of course, you do have one of the national heroes right there at the end of the walkway. Now, another thing I think is important to mention,
though you're going to see that a lot of the country has been rebuilt, you know, new highways, new roads, new buildings, glass and steel structures, and all kinds of things out there. New churches being built. I want you to know, though they've rebuilt, don't think there's not scars from the war. So, that's why when I talked about the very beginning about, you know, not coming from your perspective, letting the locals talk about it, that's why I would say really don't talk about politics because that can reopen old wounds. So, let the locals talk about it versus you bringing it up. And one of the things you might see online is a lot of people say, "Oh, well, if you go to Kosova and you get a
Kosova stamp in your passport, you can never get into Serbia." That's not true. Okay? One of the things I would say, if you're worried about that, if you come to Kosova, well, then go to Serbia first, then come to Kosova, like go through Macedonia and come up to Kosova that way. Or if you're worried, leave from Kosova, go into North Macedonia, and then go up into Serbia if you're worried about that. But, in general, the kind of harassment about that stuff has come down way, way, way a lot, so you shouldn't have a problem doing that. So, don't worry, you can visit both, but it would probably better to go Serbia then come around to go to Kosova versus vice versa. but it's not one of those things
that it bans you for life like some other countries have to deal with that with their stamps in their passport. And a traveling family. Now another thing I want to tell you is when you're coming to Kosovo, don't miss out on the nature. You'll notice when you come around there's all these mountains and then you come into a valley and see all these things, but you can go and hike in those mountains and they're beautiful to check out. But also when you're going around the country, don't forget to check out some of the monasteries that are here because when you go inside and you see the
monasteries and the paintings and the icons on the wall and the frescos, I mean it's just a really gorgeous experience to have when you're here. So don't pass on those when you go around, all right? So I hope this video helps you know a bit more of what you don't but more importantly do when you do come to Kosovo. If you have more do's and don'ts of visiting Kosovo, please put in the comment section below so we can have other travelers enjoy this wonderful country and I'll say bye from here in Kosovo.
