Kosovo
Kosovo is a black spot on a typical tourist map. Nobody knows anything about it, maybe except the war. We visited Kosovo by chance, having a few free days in Skopje, we just hopped on the bus to Prishtina in Kosovo.
As we had no idea what to expect, Kosovo turned out to be an amazing destination - Prishtina, although raw and not too pretty on the outside, had an amazing vibe - with open air restaurants and cafes full until late at night on a working day, the fountains that can cool you off on a hot day, delicious local food and amazing prices.
Not everyone knows that the currency in Kosovo is Euro and the alliance to European Union and the west in general is very strong - you can see the EU and the US flags everywhere and the streets are named, for example, after Bill Clinton.
We also visited a beautiful, cozy town of Prizren - just like any other town in the Balkans - with red roofed houses, stunning architectural mix, cozy little streets, fortresses and stone bridges. Such a little gem - and virtually zero western tourists. Discover it and see for yourself!
Prishtina (or Pristina) is the capital of one of the newest states on the planet - Kosovo. Although not recognized by all the nations, it's de facto an independent country with full government and organizations. Prishtina (with the exception of Minsk in Belarus) is probably the least visited capital in Europe. Having suffered tremendously turbulent events in recent history - it's not the most beautiful or charming city in the world. Many of the old parts were destroyed during the war and now Prishtina has an appearance of a newly built city - many districts still look like big construction sites. Nevertheless, Prishtina has that "something" and I really miss it - the relaxed and friendly locals, crazy architecture, superb food and the vibrant streets in summer evenings.