I visited Kosovo for the first time and absolutely loved it! While I was based in the capital, Pristina, I also ventured out of the city to visit Prizren and Gračanica. Gračanica is easily one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever visited, and Gračanica Monastery was stunning. Kosovo’s population is primarily made up of ethnic Albanians, whereas Gračanica is a predominantly Serbian town. Conflict around this was at the root of the Kosovo War in the late 1990s, and what led to Kosovo declaring independence in 2008. As a mainly Serbian town, there was lots of conflict around Gračanica as the two groups clashed. Visiting the city made for a very interesting experience, but it’s perfectly safe to visit. It’s very easy to spend a morning or an afternoon there, as it’s so close to Pristina! Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Gračanica as a half daytrip from Pristina!

Getting From Pristina to Gračanica

It’s not difficult to get from Pristina to Gračanica. While a taxi would cost about €20 there and back, it’s easy to get the bus. From the bus station, you can take any bus that goes to Gjilian. It cost €0.80 on the way there. As a bus was leaving the bus station right as I arrived, this was the first time I’ve ever jumped onto a moving bus before!! I told the guy selling tickets that I wanted to go to Gračanica Monastery, and showed him a picture. He didn’t speak much English but knew exactly where I wanted to go.

It’s only about 15 minutes by bus from Pristina to Gračanica Monastery. The bus driver stopped just past the main roundabout in town, which was just a couple minutes walk away from the monastery.

Visiting Gračanica Monastery

Gračanica Monastery is one of the four Orthodox religious sites in Kosovo that form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is beautiful and there’s no entrance fee. You used to have to hand your passport over in order to visit for security reasons—you don’t need to anymore.

There is still barbed wire on the wall surrounding the monastery complex.

The monastery itself is a Serbian Orthodox monastery, dating back to 1321. My favorite part was the frescoes covering the walls. They were so intricate and beautiful! The monastery was very quiet—just a few people stopping by to pray, and two nuns cleaning the windows. We were most definitely the only tourists there.

Other Things to See in Gračanica

The conflict between Kosovo and Serbia is a lengthy one, and there are still tensions between the two today. Visiting Gračanica was a huge insight into the cultures of this region. Most of the signs and shops are in Serbian, as opposed to Albanian (like the rest of Kosovo). Some shops even had prices listed in Serbian dinar, whereas the currency in Kosovo is Euros! I saw more than one Serbian flag flying in Gračanica (like on this small chapel in the above photo).

One of the main places to visit is the MISSING Monument. This is located outside of the community center in Gračanica. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the monastery up the main road (in the direction of Pristina). With your back to the monastery when you exit, turn right and follow the street up. The monument will be on your left. The MISSING monument is dedicated to the Serbians who are still missing following the Kosovo War of the late 90s. Each letter has photos of people who have gone missing, and they still don’t know where they are (most are presumed dead at this point).

It is poignant and touching and very sad. There was a small news conference taking place at the monument while I was there—my guess is that they had found one of the missing persons and the people speaking were family members. Definitely make sure you pay this place a visit when in Gračanica.

There’s also the statue of Milos Obilic.  He was a Serbian knight, who became a national hero of the medieval age. This is in one of the main roundabouts in town. The monastery is just a couple minutes up the road from here.

How to Get From Gračanica Back to Pristina

Buses from Gjilian back to Pristina go about every half hour, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long for one. Unfortunately, I had just missed a bus (literally missed it as it drove past) and so hopped on a local city bus back to Pristina. This ticket was cheaper (€0.50) and took about the same amount of time, 15 minutes. I’m not sure where exactly the route went, but I got off at the roundabout of Kosovo flag roundabout (Fehmi Lladrovci). If you get one of the coach buses from Gjilian, you’ll be dropped off at the bus station.

Planning Your Trip

I based myself in Pristina for my three nights in Kosovo, and stayed at Oda Hostel. I visited Prizren for one day, and spent the morning in Gračanica on another day. You can search for hostels in Pristina here, and for hotels here! You can also sign up to and search accommodation through Airbnb here.

Pristina Airport doesn’t have a huge range of flight options. It might be easier to fly into Skopje or another airport, and get a bus to Pristina from there. I always use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights. Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

Gračanica Monastery is a beautiful place, with a long history and very important to the Orthodox religion. Visiting Gračanica itself as a half daytrip from Pristina is very easy. Gračanica is safe to visit, and very interesting to see and experience a different side of Kosovo. I hope this helps in planning a visit to Gračanica and Gračanica Monastery from Pristina!

Have you visited Gračanica or any other places in Kosovo? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!

You might like my other Kosovo posts:

What To See In Pristina, Kosovo: One Of Europe’s Coolest Cities

The Best Cafes And Bars In Pristina, Kosovo

A Daytrip To Prizren From Pristina, Kosovo

Hostel Review: Oda Hostel, Pristina

Like this post? Pin it for later!