Visit Kosovo for two days from Skopje

Visit Kosovo for two days from Skopje

Visit Kosovo for two days from Skopje

This is a concentrated tour of the major monuments of Kosovo using the easier access with low-cost airlines at the airport of Skopje the capital of Macedonia. This Kosovo tour still manages to give the visitor a full picture of  what this new country  has on offer.  

Day 1: Skopje – Gadima Cave – Gracanica – Ulpiana – Pristina

We will meet in Skopje and transfer to the beautiful Gracanica Orthodox Monastery located a few miles southeast of Pristina. Founded in 1321 Gracanica was commissioned by Serbian King Stefan Milutin and it was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, while in 13 July 2006 it was placed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. Just a short drive south is the archaeological site of Ulpiana, the capital of Dardania, an Illyrian kingdom pre-dating the Romans as it was mentioned by Strabo an ancient Greek author. However it flourished under the Roman Empire and was mentioned as a glorious city “Urb Splendisima”. Ulpiana suffered numerous attacks from barbarian tribes and earthquakes. Emperor Justinian rebuilt it and called it “Justiniana Secunda”.On the way to Pristina we will also visit Gadima Cave, a karst limestone cave also known as Marble Cave. It was discovered by chance by a villager cutting stone in 1966 and remains largely unexplored.After these visits will continue in the direction of Pristina here we take a walk through the capital Pristina exploring its main attractions in the centre and surroundings including: National Library, Saint Mother Teresa Cathedral, the Saint Mother Teresa Boulevard, the monument of Scanderbeg (Albanian National Hero), the Clock Tower, Kosovo Government buildings and the “New Born” monument which is becoming the symbol of this new state. Of particular interest are the Ottoman period mosques of Prishtina with probably the most beautiful, being the Fatih Mosque dating back to 1461 during the golden era of Sultan Mehmet II. Its huge ceiling domed cupola crowns a splendidly painted floral interior of Arabesque design. Nearby is Pristina's oldest building, the Çarshia Mosque completed in 1389. We end our tour  with a visit to the National Museum. Overnight in Pristina.

Day 2: Pristina - Prizren – Skopje

After breakfast we drive to  Prizren, the second largest in the country, is a beautiful city situated on the slopes of the Sharr Mountains in southern Kosovo, close to the border with Albania. It is a historic city known for the arts and crafts something which becomes obvious as soon as you approach the centre, with cobble stone roads, beautifully crafted shops, bars and restaurants built in a typical Ottoman architecture. Prizren offers some great religious monuments representing different faiths, with the 14th century Orthodox Church of “Our Lady of Ljevis” being the most important, becoming part of the UNESCO list of protected Medieval Monuments of Kosovo in 2006. Other monuments and sites we visit are: The Mosque of Sinan Pasha built in 1615, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Prizren's main Catholic church from 1870), House of the League of Prizren, the Stone Bridge and bazaar. Departure to Skopje.