Kosovo / North Macedonia - Heart of Balkans

07/06/22 - 14/06/22

After leaving the Adriatic coast in Kotor and going up to the North of Montenegro, it is time to visit the heart of the Balkans for our cycling caravan: Kosovo then North Macedonia!

We intend to make a loop in these two countries before descending to Albania. In total we will spend a little less than 10 days in these small countries. The tricky weather and the visit of the two capitals allowed us to slow down a bit.

It is therefore by the pass overhanging Peja/Pejë/Peć that we arrived to Kosovo. (yes in this region of the Balkans, the cities have several names depending on the ethnic origin). A beautiful pass with an incredible descent of about ten hairpins, the plains below announce the program for the next few days: no more uphills/downhills, finally a little rest for the legs. We arrive to Peja at noon, and there is the cultural shock! After 10 days away from everything and everyone, we arrive in another world: the noises, the smells, the traffic, the sound of prayers from the speakers of mosques (our first of the trip), the dogs and the bazaars. We look at each other, we agree: it is a cultural slap, accentuated by a long period of disconnection from civilization.

We travel for this but were not prepared to experience it right now. We had often been told about Turkey for this experience. It was Kosovo for us.

After eating our sandwiches in a city park crowded with people, we take advantage of the afternoon to visit the two points of interest to the west of the city: the Rugova Canyon and the Orthodox monastery "Patriarchate of Pec".

The first is a very steep canyon, with many tunnels and bridges. We are surprised to find climbing routes and a via feratta there! The place is very calm and relaxing after the busy city.

We continue with a visit to the monastery, a religious center for the Serbian Orthodox Church. Due to tensions between Serbs and Albanians, the monastery is protected by the army and you have to show your credentials to enter. It is also a haven of peace.

We continue our journey to Pristina, the youngest European capital which is celebrating its 14th birthday! On the road we pitch the tent in the garden of a Kosovare family who welcome us warmly! They offer us many local dishes. We take this opportunity to satisfy our curiosity about this small country, which raises many desires from its neighbors countries! We book a Hostel in Pristina, to be able to visit the city serenely and not to pedal. The weather is tricky, but for visiting a city it's perfect, compared to a day on the bikes! Some nice monuments and local food.

Our last step in Kosovo is to reach the Macedonian border to the south. The distance is less than 100km and we make it in one day, with a very cloudy sky: will it rain or not? On the road we visit the "Marble Cave Gadime". No marble here but a magnificent 1.2km cavity that we explored completely alone. So special to be alone in such environment!

Throughout the crossing of the country, we felt an important American presence. The Kosovar flag is almost always accompanied by the USA and NATO ones. The latter are present in Kosovo in the largest military base in the Balkans. Here and there the symbols are visible: a statue of Bill Clinton in Pristina, graffiti "Thank you USA" and many American soldiers / KFOR. We had the impression that Kosovo seeks by all means to legitimize its existence, it must be remembered that the country is not recognized by all.

Time to move on to Macedonia, or more specifically, North Macedonia! Indeed the country had to change its name in 2019. This is the price to pay to become a candidate for entry into the European Union, Greece not agreeing with the previous name which stole a part of his heritage. Another interesting fact is that this border is our the first border to not involve crossing a pass, this time it is gently descending a canyon that we enter our future host country.

The weather is still not good and we pitch the tent under a small roof in a garden about twenty kilometers from the Macedonian capital: Skopje. Having visited Pristina 2 days before, we did not want to visit this metropolis, but the rainy weather the next day and the proposal of our host family to show us around made us change our minds. And it's a total surprise! Not thrilled by Pristina, we fell in love with Skopje! A very large number of spectacular monuments stand in the historic city center. The city is very clean and has monumental Greco-Roman architecture. We also visit the city's bazaar, the largest in all of Europe! We continue with a visit to the Matka Canyon, the narrowest canyon we have visited so far. A small dam at its exit has flooded the gorge and a small path cut into the side of the cliff allows you to visit it. The rain is still heavy and we are very happy to sleep a second night at our host family.

The weather is nice this morning and we are back on the road! Direction Mavrovo National Park, the largest in Macedonia. We cross the city of Tetovo where fightings took place 20 years ago between Albanian separatists and the Macedonian army. Many Albanian flags in the gardens remind us that the population with Albanian origin is numerous in these regions and cohabitation is not always easy...

We finally arrive at the park after a nice climb. A large lake surrounded by chalets and a ski resort reminds us of mountain villages in the Alps. We are invited by a Macedonian family - they insist they are of Albanian origin - to spend the night in the annex of their chalet. Our host is the king of the bbq and he pouves it by preparing one for us: delicious!

The next day after a quick visit to the station - and its 1964 mono-chairlifts - we continue our journey in the park by descending... a canyon!! Yes we have a collection ;) And as usual, this one is more beautiful than all the previous ones. It is also the witness of the first crash of the trip: RoxyRox who ends up on the side of the road after a bad move. More fears than harm and a warning for the future! On the road we also visit the monastery of Bigorski. We will spend the night a little further in an adjoining room of a small village mosque.

Finally after 5 days in Macedonia, we reach the shores of Lake Ohrid, where the city of the same name is said to be home to 365 Orthodox churches! It is in front of one of them, while tasting some baklava, that we are suddenly caught in a spectacular storm. In 20 minutes, hail and downpours fell on us. We may be in a city, but there is no place to shelter. We are soaked. But after the rain comes the sun and we quickly dry off by going around the lake in the direction of Albania, where a surprise awaits us... More in the next episode!