Prizren was the cultural and administrative center for Kosovo during Ottoman rule and it’s Turkish heritage is still very apparent with the cities mosques, Turkish bridges and the fortress that sits above the city.
The first thing you notice in Pristina is the amount of American flags. Outside government buildings, museums, libraries and the university there is an American flag, a tribute to the U.S. efforts, via NATO, to give Kosovo independence from Serbia.
More Turkish than Istanbul: We’ve heard this expression to describe several places in the Balkans – Skopje’s old Turkish bazaar being one.
Ohrid is a pretty unique place: where else can you try your hand at the Cyrllic alphabet as you sip beer and eat good pizza while watching kids play soccer against the side of a 13th century church.
Molly and I became fascinated with Macedonia during our five day trip. It’s an ethnically diverse and historically fascinating country that has played a significant role in every great European civilization.
Molly and I recently took a week to drive through Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. Each of these countries felt like a new frontier where a mountain range, river or lake created a natural border.
For 500 years Novi Pazar was an important city for those traveling by horse or on foot between the Adriatic Coast and Serbia, serving as a stopover and major crossroads for journeys in the Balkans.
Right there on the river, the very first thing we saw getting out of our car is a large memorial to the “Victims of Communism.”
The Romanian countryside we drove through had the look and feel of an agrarian society I previously thought had vanished from all of Europe.
Novi Sad is as an essential stop on any trip to Serbia and by seeing both Belgrade and Novi Sad you’ll quickly understand the effects the Great Powers had on this country. But it’s also the perfect place to relax for a few days, walking along the river and sitting in the square watching the people go by.
Adam and Molly Go 