"Kosovo is a country of mountains. Each of its borders is marked by a relief, the highest point being at 2,656 meters above sea level.
In the heart of the Balkans lies a small territory called Kosovo. We hardly dare to call it a "country" as the subject is so sensitive in the region. Once again, as we approach this border, we notice our ignorance about a country so close to ours. We expected to find villages still marked by the war, partially destroyed, and, in all honesty, a much lower level of development. But after NATO intervened to push the Serbs out of Kosovo, the country received several billion dollars for reconstruction.
By approaching Prizren, we discover at first the periphery of the city, dirty and polluted. But once we cross the first stone bridge, the magic happens and Prizren reveals its true face. The main square is full of people, around the central fountain, the horse-drawn carriages walk the tourists and the terraces of the cafes are full. There is life here. Overlooking the city, the fortress dominates and offers a superb view on Prizren and the surrounding mountains.
These mountains, we followed them as a course during all our crossing of Kosovo. They symbolized our goal, a nice reward after several days on the plain and a nice way to cross a border. The Šar mountains culminate at 2 747 m on the Titov Vrv (Mount Tito). Finally, a bad weather will be the reason of our project of crossing the border by the pass.
"Kosovo is a country of mountains. Each of its borders is marked by a relief, the highest point being at 2,656 meters above sea level. The rare paths are muddy and our evenings at the camp are spent in the company of thousands of mosquitoes. In the distance, we can see the Šar mountains in the mist. It is there that, against a capricious weather, we will make an attempt to cross the border with North Macedonia".
After a change of route between Montenegro and Albania, our crossing of Kosovo was reduced by almost half. The first section between the Albanian border and Prizren was rather monotonous and not particularly well suited for hiking. All our hopes rested on the section in the Šar mountains which we unfortunately had to shorten because of the weather. A bit disappointed, we decided that we would have to come back to Kosovo to hike again because this overview only whetted our curiosity.
Discover the pictures of our crossing of Kosovo from the Albanian border to the Šar mountains. A dive in the heart of Kosovo, its inhospitable mountains, its pretty tourist city Prizren and the kindness of its inhabitants.
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