Bus from PRIŠTINA to OHRID

Pristina, also spelled Prishtina or Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the homonymous municipality and district.

The city has a majority Albanian population, alongside other smaller communities. With a population of about 500,000, Pristina is the second-largest Albanian-speaking city in the world.  Geographically, it is located in the north-eastern part of Kosovo close to the Goljak mountains. The city is situated some 250 kilometres north-east of Tirana, 90 kilometres north of Skopje, 520 kilometres south of Belgrade and 300 kilometres east of Podgorica.

During the Paleolithic Age, what is now the area of Pristina was envolved by the Vinča culture. Pristina was home to several Illyrian and Roman people at the classical times. The king of the Dardanian Kingdom, Bardyllis brought various tribes together in the area of Pristina in the 4th century BC, establishing the Dardanian Kingdom. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by ancient city of Ulpiana, that was considered one of the most important Roman cities in the Balkan peninsula. In the middle ages, Pristina was an important town in Medieval Serbia and also the royal estate of Stefan Milutin, Stefan Uros III, Stefan Dusan, Stefan Uros V and Vuk Brankovic.

When the Ottomans conquered the Balkan peninsula, Pristina was classified as an important mining and trading center on the market, due to its strategic position near the rich mining town of Novo Brdo. The city was known for its trade fairs and items, such as goatskin and goat hair, as well as gunpowder produced by artisans from Pristina in 1485. The first mosque in Pristina was built in the late 14th century, while under the Serbian rule. Pristina has always been considered as a city where tolerance and coexistence in terms of religion and culture has been part of the society in the last centuries.

Being the capital city, Pristina is considered as the heart of Kosovo because of its central location and its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education, service, research and healthcare. Almost all domestic and foreign companies, media and scientific institutions have their headquarters in the city.

The name of the city is derived from a Slavic form *Prišьčь, a possessive adjective from the personal name *Prišьkъ, (preserved in the Kajkavian surname Prišek, in the Old Polish personal name Parzyszek, and in the Polish surname Pryszczyk) and the derivational suffix -ina 'belonging to X and his kin'.[citation needed] The name is most likely a patronymic of the personal name *Prišь, preserved as a surname in Sorbian Priš, and Polish Przybysz, a hypocoristic of the Slavic personal name Pribyslavъ.

A false etymology[citation needed] connects the name Priština with the Serbian word prišt (пришт), meaning 'ulcer' or 'tumour', referring to its 'boiling'. However, this explanation cannot be correct, as Slavic place names ending in -ina corresponding either or both to an adjective or the name of an inhabitant lacking this suffix are built from personal names or denote a person and never derive, in these conditions, from common nouns (SNOJ 2007: loc. cit.). The inhabitants of this city call themselves Prishtinali in local Gheg Albanian or Prištevci (Приштевци) in the local Serbian dialect.

 

Pristina is the primary tourist destination in Kosovo as well as the main air gateway to the country.[58] It is known as a university center of students from neighbouring countries as Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. In 2012, Tourism in Pristina attracted 36,186 foreign visitors.[59] which represents 74.2%[60] Most foreign tourists come from Albania, Turkey, Germany, United States, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, with the number of visitors from elsewhere growing every year.[61]

The city has a large number of luxury hotels, modern restaurants, bars, pubs and very large nightclubs. Coffee bars are a representative icon of Pristina and they can be found almost everywhere. The largest hotels of the city are the Swiss Diamond and the Grand Hotel Prishtina situated in the heart of the city. Other major hotels present in Pristina include the Emerald Hotel, Sirius Hotel and Hotel Garden.

Some of the most visited sights near the city include the Batlava Lake and Marble Cave, which are also among the most visited places in country.[62] Pristina has played a very important role during the World War II, being a shelter for Jews, whose cemeteries now can be visited.

As the capital city of the Republic of Kosovo, it is the center of cultural and artistic development of all Albanians that lives in Kosovo. The Department of cultural affairs is just one of the segments that arranges the cultural events, which make Pristina one of the cities with the most emphasized cultural and artistic traditions. Pristina is home to the largest cultural institutions of the country, such as the National Theatre of Kosovo, National Archaeology, Ethnography and Natural science Museum, National Art Gallery and the Ethnological Museum. Among the local institutions are the National Library of Kosovo which has more than 1.8 million books, periodicals, maps, atlases, microfilms and other library materials.

There are many foreign cultural institutions in Pristina, including the Albanian Albanological Institute, the German Goethe-Institut and Friedrich Ebert Foundation.[ Other cultural centers in Pristina are, the French Alliance Française and the British Council. The Information Office of the Council of Europe was also established in Pristina.

Ohrid is considered one of the oldest cities in the Balkans that unites the style of the Neolithic, antique and medieval period. The numerous early Christian and medieval churches, with magnificent mosaics and icons and beautiful beaches, are just some of the many features that confirm that Ohrid is a wonderful place.

The main attractions of Ohrid are: the Fortress of the Emperor Samuil, the antique theater, the Episcopal Basilica, the Church of St. Clement - Saint Panteleimon in Plaoshnik, the Monastery of St. Naum, the cave church, Icon Gallery, the picturesque villages of Velestovo, Vevcani and Trpejac, Trebenište etc.

Samoil's Fortress in Ohrid - is one of the most popular visitors to Ohrid, built in the X century during the reign of Emperor Samuil. Throughout history, Ohrid has been such a significant religious center that it has built 365 churches - one church for every day of the year.

Monastery of Saint Panteleimon - Protector of Health, is one of the oldest Slovene monasteries in the Balkan and the oldest Slovene cultural monument in Ohrid.

The monastery complex of St. Naum was built on a romantic island of Ohrid lake, rich in greenery, a magnificent view of the Ohrid Lake. The area around the monastery of St. Naum is regarded as among the most beautiful on the shores of Ohrid Lake.

Lake Ohrid is one of the largest European lakes in the southwestern part of Macedonia and the eastern part of Albania. The lake is at an altitude of 695 meters. It is distinguished by its unique ecosystem, rich endemic and rare plant and animal species. The peculiarity of the lake is due to geographical isolation and great geological age. Also, the Ohrid Lake basin is characterized by rich biodiversity and has several plant species endemic to the Balkan peninsula.

Some species that live in it are the ancient plant and animal shine of Eurasia, which today, except in Lake Ohrid, can be found only in Tibers Lake, in the Middle East, and in Lake Baikal in Siberia. The fish shine of the lake, with 17 different species, is truly incredible. The best-known are dried species of endemic oyster trout, yearlings and whites, an eel that can reach up to 1.5 meters in length and small fish of plates. These fish species are a real challenge for fishermen and treats for gastronomy, especially for those who like trout prepared in the famous Ohrid way.

Bus station Ohrid is located in "7th of November, Ohrid 6000"

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