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Born out of the breakup of former Yugoslovia, Kosovo is one of the youngest country in world. After Kosovo war in 1999 , it declared independence in 2008. The country is being rebuilt since then. In spite of sore relationship with neighbouring Serbia , gradually it is recognised by most of G20 countries.
This was a short trip to Kosovo primarily to Hike part of Sharr mountains called The Edge. I arrived in Pristina and was picked up the by the host. We then relaxed and enjoyed a late dinner with your fellow adventurers.
Day 1
From Pristina, we were be driven to the village of Prevalla along with camping eqipments where our hike into the Sharr and Bistra Mountains begins. Starting at 1500m. We hiked along one of the most beautiful routes in Kosovo, following a 600-year-old trade route. There was a posibility to see lynx and bears though I did not see any. We hiked up to Kosovo’s second-highest peak, Bistra Peak (2650m) and passed the source of the Lumbardhi River which is also seen from the arched footbridge on arrival in Prizren. With views of the Albanian Alps and Macedonia, we continued our adventure as we walk the ridgeline, known as The Edge. We hiked about 3 of the range’s peaks including Bistra and Guzhbaba (2589m). We then back to camp – which we had to pitch up close to The Edge. It would have been a great place for some stunning sunset pictures but weather was not in my favour.
8hrs · 12km · 1420m up · 370m down
Day 2
Bag another belter today, as we hiked two more peaks, stopped for a rest at a picturesque mountain lake at 2400m before pushing on to the summit. On the way back to Pristina, we stopped in Prizren . We also walked around the town center which was very beautiful. I also did a short hike up to the castle overlooking the town. This gives an amazing view over Prizen and great place to watch sunset. After this we shared a traditional meal and swap stories with your new hiking friends, then carried on to Pristina, where bed (or a local bar) is waiting. Some folks went to a bar and had a blast.
Had a lazy start to the day before enjoying a cultural tour around Pristina during the morning, to take in some of the city’s highlights. Valon was an excellent city guide with a lot of insights to share. After that went to a nice local restrurant and had some great fish. The afternoon was free for us to explore the city on your own, before heading back to the airport armed with some great stories and a pocketful of photos.
