Tales of Kosovo

There are places the guidebooks skip. Places too complicated, too scarred, too damn real for neat little top-ten lists or instagram filters. Kosovo is one of those places.

A mere mention of the name is enough to start a debate wherever you go in this part of the world. The war ended almost 20 years ago, but the scars still appear to be fresh.

Only recognized as a state by 60% of the world’s countries, Kosovo is still in dispute. As one of Europe’s poorest countries with high unemployment rate, as well as a taxing criminal and corruption activity, this newborn state has a lot of challenges to overcome ahead.

The National Library of Kosovo.

Today I have arrived to the city of Pristina, capital of the second-youngest country in the world. Hopefully I will learn things and understand the conflict a bit better. After all, a big part of traveling is learning new things by experiencing other cultures.

Pristina doesn’t roll out a red carpet. The capital hums with diesel engines and stubborn resilience. It’s not pretty in the traditional sense. There’s no Eiffel Tower, no Colosseum. Just layers of concrete, graffiti, and ghosts from a war that wasn’t that long ago, especially if you’re from here.

After finding a sandwich next to the imposing tower of the cathedral Majke Tereze, I continue down to the National Library. It’s a very odd building, covered in some sort of metal fishing net, making it look like prison bars. The roof is covered with 99 domes. The Croatian architect supposedly meant to blend Byzantine and Islamic forms, but I don’t really know what to say of the result.

Summer house of Sauron.

I walk past the Newborn monument. Battered, defiant and full of graffiti. It was unveiled on the very day that Kosovo formally declared its independence from Serbia.

Down the street, the statue of Bill Clinton stands tall, one arm frozen mid-speech, while a nearby boutique called Hillary is selling dresses. Someone has a very twisted sense of humor.

Pristina feels small but full of attitude, like a Central European fairytale written by Kafka and illustrated by Giger.