When Is The Best Time Of Year To Visit Pristina?

Pristina is one of the least visited towns in the Balkan Peninsula. Visitors are usually attracted by the more famous neighboring countries, such as Montenegro and Croatia, with their amazing coastal cities. Yet, Kosovo and its capital have much to offer travelers, without the crowds and for only a few euros. Read on to learn the best time of year to visit the youngest capital in Europe.

January

Kosovo has continental weather: it means winters are super cold, and summers are very warm. January is not the best time of the year to visit Pristina, but, luckily, the capital city is home to captivating museums perfect for visiting on cold winter days. One of the most interesting is the Ethnographic Museum Emin Gjiku, housed in an Ottoman-era building where it is possible to admire traditional furniture, artifacts, and costumes of that period.

Rainfall in Pristina: 11 days
Temperature in Pristina: 36°F (2°C)

The main room of the Ethnographic Museum of Pristina Emin Gjiku

Despite the cold weather, February is a beautiful time to visit Pristina: Kosovo gained its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008 – yet even today not all countries have recognized it as a nation. However, every February 17, Pristina celebrates the event with concerts, fireworks and several collateral events, such as exhibitions.

Rainfall in Pristina: 11 days
Temperature in Pristina: 43°F (6°C)

The Newborn Monument in Pristina erected on February 17, 2008, the day when Kosovo declared independence from Serbia

March

Cold weather still lingers in Pristina in March, so the best thing to do here at this time of the year is to enjoy its lively café culture and discover some of the best bars and restaurants of the Balkans. For excellent espresso, two not-to miss places in town are Soma Book Station and Dit’e’Nat’, two cozy cafés frequented mostly by the international community living in town. For excellent food, go to Babaghanoush, a Lebanese-style restaurant with a tasty vegetarian menu.

Rainfall in Pristina: 12 days
Temperature in Pristina: 52°F (11°C)

Hummus is one of the specialties of Babaghanoush, a Lebanese-style restaurant located in the heart of Pristina

April

When spring arrives, one of the best things to do in Pristina is to head to the Bear Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a natural protected area located 15 minutes from Pristina, where bears from Kosovo and Albania that once were kept in cages in front of restaurants to attract tourists now live in freedom. Today, this awful practice is forbidden by law, but until a few years ago it was considered normal.

Rainfall days in Pristina: 13 days
Temperature in Pristina: 61°F (16°C)

May

May is one of the best times of the year to visit Pristina. Spring has arrived, and a stroll through the city center is very pleasant. In the middle of May, Pristina become the setting for the Pristina Half Marathon, an event that involves the athletically active people in Pristina and beyond.

Rainfall days in Pristina: 13 days
Temperature in Pristina: 70°F (21°C)

The Half-Marathon of Pristina is the main sporting event in Kosovo

June

To escape the first warm days of summer, the best thing to do is to get out of Pristina and head to Batllava Lake, a lake and resort not far from the capital. Batllava is an artificial lake built during the Yugoslav-era as a water supply for Pristina and the surrounding areas. Today, Batllava is a popular summer destination for locals who like to spend their weekends here.

Rainfall days in Pristina: 12 days
Temperature in Pristina: 75°F (24°C)

July

Pristina is home to one of the best festivals of the Balkans, PriFest, which takes place every year in July. For those who are interested in knowing more about the Kosovar film industry, this is a not-to-miss event. PriFest consists of four competition programs: European film, Balkan film, middle-length (comprised of 25- to 60-minute-long films), and documentary film. During the days of the festival, the town offers cool musical events, including concerts by international EDM artists, alternative rock bands and local groups.

Rainfall in Pristina: 8 days
Temperature in Pristina: 79°F (26°C)

August

For those who want to spend August in town, the Sunny Hill Foundation organizes musical events at this time of the year, such as Dua Lipa concerts – just to name one. If it’s too hot in town, the best thing to do is to escape from Pristina and head to Novo Brdo, a city located in eastern Kosovo with a 13th-century fortress surrounded by beautiful hills.

Rainfall in Pristina: 8 days
Temperature in Pristina: 81°F (27°C)

Dua Lipa is one of the most famous Albanian-Kosovar artists in the world

September

One of the best places to visit in September is Gracanica, a small town about ten minutes from Pristina where one of the most important monasteries in Kosovo, Gracanica Monastery, is located. The church was built in the 14th century and is one of the most beautiful medieval monuments in the country.

Rainfall in Pristina: 8 days
Temperature in Pristina: 73°F (23°C)

Gracanica Monastery is one of the most beautiful monasteries in the Balkans, built in the 14th century in Kosovo

October

Every October, Pristina become the setting for the Prishtina Jazz Festival, the most famous musical event in the country. The festival brings together many famous jazz artists from neighboring countries, as well as from the rest of the world. If you love jazz music, October is a great time to visit Pristina and to attend this superb musical event.

Rainfall in Pristina: 9 days
Temperature in Pristina: 63°F (17°C)

Prishtina Jazz Festival is one of the main festivals in the country

November

For art enthusiasts, November is a good time of the year to visit the capital city of Kosovo. In addition to the previously mentioned Ethnographic Museum, focused on the Ottoman era, Pristina is home to other two-not-to miss places that deserve a visit: the Kosovo Museum, home to interesting archaeological pieces, and the National Gallery of Kosovo, with a permanent exhibition dedicated to Muslim Mulliqi, one of the most famous Kosovar-Albanian artists.

Rainfall in Pristina: 12 days
Temperature in Pristina: 48°F (9°C)

The colorful façade of the Kosovo Museum in Pristina

December

December is one of the most magical times of the year when – even though most of the population of Kosovo is Muslim – many Kosovars celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve. After a tasty traditional dinner in one of the best restaurants of Pristina, such as Pishat or Liburnia, there is nothing better to do than to take part in the New Year’s Eve concert that takes place every year on the pedestrian Mother Teresa Boulevard.

Rainfall in Pristina: 12 days
Temperature in Pristina: 39°F (4°C)

Even though most of the population of Kosovo is Muslim, some Kosovars celebrate Christmas

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