Holiday Area: Kosovo

Flija

In the U.S., summertime campfire baking may consist of melting chocolate and marshmallows together with graham crackers. In Kosovo, a large, flaky, signature pie is the masterpiece that comes out of hours around an open fire with family and friends. Flija consists of layer upon layer of a simple crepe-like batter cooked in a flat round pan with a special metal cover heated over the coals. Between the thin layers of pastry, a melted cream-cheese mixture gently is applied. The flija is cut into wedges like a pie and serves as a base for all sorts of tasty adornments, from sweet honey or jam to pickled vegetables and cheese.

Meat

Meat lovers can find something to chew on in Kosovo. Residents prep for the winter by preparing pasterma in advance, a dried beef served with pickled vegetables. One favorite casserole in the country, elbasan tava, is a hearty mixture of chunks of lamb baked with a blend of corn flour, yogurt, eggs and garlic cloves. Raznjici is a Balkan kebab that usually features pork or veal. Cevapcici consists of barbecued minced meat -- much like a sausage without the casing. To find a traditional patty-shaped meat dish, ask for the Balkan burger known as a pljeskavica, which can include beef, veal, pork or all of the above in the mixture.

Burek

Burek blends Kosovars' love of meat with flaky flija layers in a pie that depending on the filling and one's tastes may be consumed for any meal of the day. Call it Kosovo's traditional fast food, as bakers roll minced meat or vegetables with the dough, slice up the finished product and serve it with yogurt for an anytime snack. Burek may be stuffed with cheese, spinach, fruit filling or chunks of potato. Not every traditional bread in Kosovo is light and flaky, though, as households regularly enjoy proja with a meal. This cornbread becomes extra rich with yogurt and cheese blended into the batter of flour, cornstarch, eggs and milk.

Hajvar

Ajvar, a savory relish that may include red bell peppers, eggplant and garlic, works in harmony with Kosovo's other main dishes as a complement to flija, a condiment for pljeskavica or a spicy kick for a veggie burek. According to the Southeast European Times, ajvar gets its start by frying red peppers before they are peeled, then grinding and boiling them. The mixture is slowly stirred for hours while salt and oil are added to the paste, with hot peppers added for a spicier variant. A similar paste called pinxhur combines eggplant, tomatoes, garlic and peppers; both are canned and stored.

As if exploring the heart of one of the world's newest countries isn't reason enough for an adventure, Kosovo's capital, Pristina, blends old Albanian charm with the exciting development of a country in progress. Stroll through the city's museums, find a luxury room or cozy hideaway, and take time to savor a traditional feast of meat-filled pastries or flia, a layered pastry and cheese dish.

Getting Here

You can fly into Pristina International Airport, the only way to enter the country by air, via European carriers such as Lufthansa or Austrian Airlines. If you want to add a visit as part of a broader regional trip, you can get to Kosovo from Greece by passing through Albania or Macedonia, or come across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Tourists need a passport to enter Kosovo, but no visa is required for 90 days. The only travel hassle you may run into is if you try to cross into Serbia from Kosovo if you didn't come to Pristina from Serbia. Serbia still lays claim to Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, so the border guards won't accept passport stamps from Kosovo.

Exploring Kosovo

Albanian and Serbian are official languages of Kosovo, though you'll find younger Kosovars often speak English. Though Kosovo is not under any State Department travel warning, threats do remain from a history of conflict as some land mines still pepper the region near the Albanian border, the mountains along the border with southern Serbia and the Dulje Pass region in the central part of the country. Keep to the roads in these areas if wandering to or from Pristina, and report any suspicious devices to authorities. You'll find the roads within the city a bit of a circus, with drivers disregarding rules and pedestrians. Taxis are fairly easy to find in Pristina, though they may be old and lack safety features. Keep enough euros on hand to get around because many places don't accept credit cards. Walking to your destination is easy -- the city center is concentrated. Remember that as a foreigner you're a target for thieves here, including pickpockets and armed robbers, though much of Pristina's violent crime is due to organized crime gangs that focus on each other and not travelers.

Rest Your Head

Pristina has been working to develop its infrastructure and its tourism sector, resulting in a mix of five-star luxury and little hostels. You can snag hotel rooms as cheap as $45 a night, and the highest-rated hotel in the city, the Swiss Diamond, can be had for about $200 a night. Though the city boasts several large hotels, many of the establishments don't exceed 20 rooms. That doesn't mean you're opting for coziness in lieu of luxury, though. Hotel Pinocchio, for example, is small but offers one of the best restaurants in town and picturesque rooftop views along with airport transportation.

See the Sights

Among the new construction modernizing the city you'll find landmarks paying tribute to Pristina's past. The 18th century Ethnographic Museum displays local folk art, historical costumes and household tools used over the centuries. The 19th century Kosovo Museum houses relics thousands of years old, and the building used to be used by the Turkish and Yugoslav armies. To focus on the young country's more recent history, Independence Museum walks you through the tumultuous struggle in a reconstruction of the home used by first the president of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova. Visit spectacular 15th century architecture at the Faith Mosque and a 15th century bathhouse undergoing restoration at the Great Hamam. Pristina pays homage to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, an ethnic Albanian, with a new cathedral, a popular street named in her honor and a bronze statue. Just east of town, go hiking through forests and take a dip in a lake-sized pool at Germia Park.

Holiday Area

Main Foods of Kosovo