Summer Flight Timetable for Flights to Albania
(Version 5 Effective 05 March 2021)
GJAKOVA
Unspoiled Beauty!
Fshajt Bridge/ Holy Bridge
Holy Bridge is located at the entrance of White Drin Canyon, in the south-west of Kosovo. It is another spot in this area, frequently visited by the tourists. The uniqueness of this bridge is that it is built above an interesting and unique canyon which was created when White Drini River during a geomorphologic process opened a gizzard between two lime rocks. The bridge is 70 meters high, and the distance between the bridge and the river floor is 30 meters.
The bridge dates since WWII and is believed to become seen as holy after a human sacrifice was made there. The Fshajt’s Bridge that was built on White Drin River, dates back to the 18th century. During the First World War it was destroyed completely, but in 1942 it was rebuilt again. During the war of Kosovo in 1999 it was damaged, but it was restored by the Italian Kosovo Force (KFOR). Nowadays, the bridge that links the banks of the White Drin river, represents a key point for the transport in the road that links the city of Gjakova and Prizren.
National Park "Bjeshkët e Nemuna"
The Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park is a national park in the districts of Gjakova and Peja in western Kosovo. It encompasses 63,028 hectares of mountainous terrain, with numerous lakes, dense deciduous and coniferous forests and alpine landscapes. The park was established to protect its ecosystems and biodiversity, as well as the cultural and historical heritage. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the park as Category II. Notably, the park has been recognised as an important bird area of international importance by designation under the BirdLife International Convention.
It borders the Valbonë Valley National Park in Albania to the south. The Prokletije mountains are the southernmost geological continuation of the Dinaric Alps. The portion within the country's territory extends approximately 26 km from east to west, and 50 km from north to south. Rising to an elevation of 2,656 m, the Đeravica mountain peak is the second highest natural point of the mountain range, as well as in the country. The wide range of elevations and rugged topography of the mountains has created favorable conditions for a diverse vegetation and biodiversity.
The wide range of elevations and rugged topography of the mountains has created favourable conditions for a diverse vegetation and biodiversity. Large mammals such as wildcats, chamoises, roe deers, grey wolves, as well as rare or endangered species like lynxes and brown bears can be found within the forests of the park. A high number of species of birds, more than a dozen fish species, and a few reptile and amphibian species have been reported. Almost 37 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, 10 species of reptiles, 13 species of amphibia and 129 species of butterflies have been documented within the boundaries of the park. In terms of phytogeography, the park falls within the Balkan mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest. The flora is diverse and is characterized with high endemism. A total of over 1,000 plant species have been identified parkwide.
The vegetation is vertically divided into six distinct elevation zones. The oak forest zone, reaching approximately altitude of 800 metres, is dominated, among other by italian oak, austrian oak, and cornish oak. The beech forest zone can be found on the eastern part of the park at an altitude between 900 metres up to 1,320 metres. These include forests of silver fir, sycamore, south european flowering ash and bosnian pine. The mixed oak forest zone is mainly covered with silver fir, norway spruce and european hornbeam, between 1,200 and 1,540 metres.
Within the dark coniferous forest zone, the most widespread floral communities of that type are dominated as well as by Bosnian pine, Macedonian pine and Norwegian spruce. The composition extends from an altitude between 1,540 metres up to 1,800 metres. The breeding of fir forests zone, lying at an altitude of 1850–1930 metres, is characterised by endemic species such as the Balkan pine. The shrub zone, at an altitude of 1850 to 2050 metres, is covered with grass, moss, lichen, and 55 species of herbaceous plants. The most common types include wood cranesbill, wild strawberry, willow gentian and wood forget-me-not.
The City of Gjakova
Geographically, it is located in the south-western part of Kosovo, about halfway between the cities of Peja and Prizren. It is approximately 100 kilometres, 62 miles inland from the Adriatic Sea. In the Ottoman defter (tax registry) of 1485, the "village of Dakovica" had 67 households, among which there was the house of "Vukasin's son, the priest". Based on the study of the names, only two household heads were of possible Albanian origin. In the 17th century, Katip Çelebi and Evliya Çelebi mention this place as Jakovicse, with 2000 houses and 300 shops.
The town had developed into an Ottoman trade centre on the Shkodra–Istanbul route, with the marketplace being by the Hadum Mosque, built in 1594 by Mimar Sinan, financed by Hadum Aga. Evliya Çelebi mentioned it as a town in 1662 and described it as a flourishing and attractive town with 2,000 houses built of stone with roofs and gardens. The public buildings were situated on a broad plain and included two richly adorned congregational mosques, several prayer-houses, some inns with leaden roofs, a delightful bathhouse (hamam), and about 300 shops like nightingale-nests. Gjakova suffered greatly from the Serbian and Montenegrin armies during the First Balkan War, that people on the gallows hanged on both sides of the road, and that the way to Gjakova became a "gallows alley."
In the region of Gjakova, the Montenegrin military police formed the Royal Gendarmerie Corps, known as krilashi, which committed much abuse and violence against the non-Orthodox Christian population. The town was severely affected by the Kosovo war, suffering great physical destruction and large-scale human losses and human rights abuses. Yugoslav units were stationed in and near the town in two barracks due to the risk of an attack by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) from across the border in Albania. Thousands of new stores were rebuilt. Old town is a good example where hundreds of stores were destroyed during the war, in 2001 as many were rebuilt as there had been before the war.
Visoki Decani Monastery
Visoki Decani, or simply Decani, is a medieval Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery located near Deçan, Kosovo. It was founded in the first half of the 14th century by Serbian king Stefan Decanski, and it has a height of 36 meters and a width of 24 meters. It is the largest medieval church in the Balkans containing the most extensive preserved mural decoration. Its architecture consists of a combination of Gothic, Roman, Byzantine, and Baroque style elements. The Visoki Decani monastery is located by the Decanska Bistrica river gorge at the foot of the Prokletije Mountains, in the region of Metohija. It is located about 2 kilometres from the town of Decan. The monastery is managed by the Serbian Orthodox Eparchy of Raska and Prizren.
Construction began during the reign of Serbian King Stefan Decanski in 1327 and the original founding charter from 1330 has been preserved. Decanski’s son, Stefan Dusan, seized the Serbian throne in 1331 and had his father strangled to death in the Zvecan Fortress shortly afterwards. Decanski was buried in the still incomplete Visoki Decani monastery in 1331 and its construction was continued by Dusan. Construction of the monastery lasted for a total of 8 years and ended in 1335. The wooden throne of the hegumen (monastery head) was finished at around this time, and the church interior was decorated. Decanski’s carved wooden sarcophagus was finished in 1340. Serbian princess and Bulgarian empress consort Ana-Neda was buried in the church.
During World War I, the monastery’s treasures were plundered by the Austro-Hungarian Army, which occupied Serbia between 1915 and 1918. The monastery fell within the territory of the Italian-ruled Albanian Kingdom during World War II. The monastery attracts visitors from different parts of the world and is recognized by UNESCO organization as a world cultural wealth. The monastery has been under the legal protection since 1947 with a designation of Cultural Monument of Exceptional Importance. The monastery is part of the World Heritage site named “Medieval Monuments in Kosovo”.
Muzeu Etnografik I Gjakovës - Ethnographic museum of Gjakova
Ethnographic museum of Gjakova is an incredibly unique, interesting place. A must-see museum if you visit beautiful town of Gjakova, located in the heart of the town. it showcases the traditional house in the Turkish Otterman Style common around the era of the Otterman empire of the 1800s. Today the house is open to the public with several restoration works resulting in a beautiful artefact of Otterman Kosovo in the centre of Gjakova.
Hadum Mosque
The Hadum Mosque in Gjakova, Kosovo was built in the last decade of the 16th century and was financed by Hadum Sylejman Efendia – Hadum Aga, which explains the name of the mosque. The mosque was built on the property of Jakë Vula and is located in the Old Bazaar. A rectangular, dome-covered structure, it belongs to the classic forms of mosque of the Islamic-Kosovar style. Around the mosque there are tombs with sculpted decorations and engraved with epithets in the old Ottoman language.
The tombs belonged to the most respected families in Gjakova. There also used to be a “hamam”, but it was destroyed during World War II. The entrances are covered with floral paintings, geometrical shapes, citations from the Qur’an and arabesques. In 1999, the surrounding complex was burned to the ground and only the mosque and the minaret along with some damaged arabesques survived. The Hadum Mosque features a mihrab facing the entrance. Mihrab is positioned in the centre of the south-eastern wall, towards Mecca. This element is nicked into the wall forming a niche which ends in the upper part in form of the semi-cone.
Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery
Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery a hidden gem in the heart of Rahovec Valley, is a private estate that comprises more than 5552 hectares of premium vineyards and land. The Winery was built in 1952 and since 2006 it has been owned and operated by the Gecaj Family. To date the company has a wine making capacity of ten to thirteen million litters a year and the capacity to process approximately 70,000 tons of wine grape annually. A big wave of investment and innovation valued over 15 million dollars has aided and advanced technological processing, professional training, revitalization of vines and much more.
Stone Castle takes great pride in growing the highest quality grape and producing approachable, premium wines, while combining the latest technological advances with traditional winemaking methods. From handpicking the grapes that meet quality standards to de-stemming and fermenting, aging in oak barrels, bottling, corking and labelling, there is so much that goes in every bottle of wine. The winery is open for public tours subject to booking.
Junik Mountains
The Junik Mountains, Bjeshket e Junikut, part of the Prokletije range, are on the border between Albania and Kosovo. They reach a height of 2,280 metres (7,480 ft). On the Kosovan side are located in the Metohija region, some 8.5 kilometres, 5 miles to the north-west of the Junik commune. Kosovo is surrounded by mountains in the west and the south, where some of the best hiking can be done, according to the Kosovo Tourism Centre. There are many scenic lakes in these mountains, but located in Junik, a heart-shaped lake has become the favourite of many hikers. Zemra Lake is located 400 meters from the Albanian border and is found in the Prokletije near the 2,538 meters-high peak of Gusan. Several other lakes dot the area around this heart-shaped lake.
Gjeravica
Gjeravica is the second-highest mountain peak in the Prokletije mountain range and the Dinaric Alps chain, after Maja Jezercë. It is the second-highest mountain in Kosovo. It has an elevation of 2,656 metres above sea level. Gjeravica is in the western part of Kosovo, in the municipality of Junik. Before the 20th century, Gjeravica used to be called Kaluderovica. Gjeravica is somewhat different from the rest of the Prokletije mountains in its lack of the stony, limestone texture the other mountains in Prokletije have.
Many large and small glacial lakes can be found near the summit. The largest of the lakes is Gjeravica/ Deravica Lake, which is just under the summit and is the origin of the Erenik river. Gjeravica and the Prokletije are mostly known for the growth of chestnuts. There are also wild strawberries growing in Gjeravica during the summer. The Zemra Lake is a lake in the western edge of the Republic of Kosovo. Roughly in shape of a heart, the lake stretches inside the Prokletije, some 400 m away from Albania. It is situated between 2,200 and 2,500 metres of elevation above sea level on the northern slopes of Maja e Gusanit, near Maja e Gjeravicës.
Junik Towers
According to an inventory conducted by the Institute for Protection of Monuments in Peja, in 2002/2003, Junik presented with a variety of objects, malls and cultural heritage values such as Towers – In terms of cultural heritage, Junik known for its towers, fortified dwellings family typical Dukagjini Plains. Older towers are those of Hoxhaj neighbourhood where towers complex is formed by the end of the 18th century.
Towers, in addition to architectural interest bearing, have played an important social role. For example, the Chamber of Junik was also a legal institution, social and political. They held various gatherings of importance not only for Junik, but also for the whole of Kosovo. It is worth mentioning that fortified apartment tower is the only type of architectural flat of Albanians represented in certain regions in all popular strata and for this we can call without hesitation tower as flat to all Albanian layers.
Radoniq Lake
Radoniqi Lake is an artificially created lake situated in the municipality of Gjakova. Lake has an area of 5.96 km2, which makes it is the second biggest lake in Kosova. It was created during the 80-s and was named “Radoniqi” because of the town which used to be in the location where the lake was created. This lake is used as a drinking water source for a major part of Gjakova territory, hence swimming there is not allowed. However, its crystal clear water combined with the amazing surrounding landscape make it an ideal spot for someone who wants to relax and enjoy the beauties of the nature.
Zočište Monastery
The Zočište Monastery or formally St. Cosmas and Damian's Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery belonging to the Eparchy of Raška and Prizren, situated in the village of Zočište, about 3 miles southeast of Orahovac, Kosovo. The original church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, was built in the 13th century. The graveyard includes tombstones dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The monastery was renovated in the 16th century and again in 2008 after being destroyed in 1999.
The Church building has been rebuilt on the existing and consolidated foundations using original building material from the ruins of the old church. The monastery is famous for the relics of the Saints Cosmas and Damian. The shrine at the monastery was said to provide a miraculous cure for eye diseases and mental and psychosomatic disorders. It is said to be "One of the most important cultural places for Serbian and Christian settlements in the Metohija region." It was designated as Cultural Heritage of Serbia in 1954. The monastery was included into the Republic of Kosovo list of "Special Protective Zones" on 20 February 2008.
Tower houses, Junik
A distinctive type of Ottoman tower houses developed and were built in the Balkans, as well as in Romania, after the Ottoman conquest in the Middle Ages by both Christian and Muslim communities. The practice began during the decline of Ottoman power in the 17th century and flourished until the early 20th century. The tower houses were typically made out of stone, rose three or four storeys, and were square or rectangular in shape. They served both military and civilian purposes in order to protect the extended family.
Ura e Terzive
Terzijski Bridge, also referred to as Tailors' Bridge, is located near the village of Bistražin, near Gjakova, Kosovo. It is a respectable example of Ottoman architecture in Kosovo. It was built over the Erenik river, probably at the end of the 15th century, and was altered in the 18th century. It is a noteworthy example of the Terzijski guild from Gjakova, from which it received its name. Major reconstruction and restoration to its original appearance occurred from 1982 to 1984. Today, the bridge is under the protection of the Republic of Kosovo, originally being declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990 within Serbia.
