Mitrovica

Mitrovica or Mitrovicë is a city in northern Kosovo, split between a southern ethnic-Albanian section and a northern ethnic-Serbian section.

Understand
The city of Mitrovica is divided into a north and south by the Ibar River.

The northern section is mainly populated by Serbs, with some solely Albanian and mixed neighbourhoods along the banks of the Ibar. The southern section is mainly populated by Albanians, with few Serbs.

There are several bridges that connect the two sections. Much has been made of the main Mitrovica Bridge running from the Albanian side to the Serbian side. It has been the scene of violence in the past, notably in 1999. It is completely safe to cross by daylight but may be less safe at night, depending on the general political climate.

Get in

 * By train. You can get to the north part of Mitrovica from Kraljevo (Serbia) by train twice per day. The ticket is 442 Serbian dinars. The trains are modern, often air conditioned. The railway "station" in Mitrovica is nondescript but does the job, and is a short walk from the city center. Onward travel by train (to Pristina) is not possible as of March 2019. Walk across the bridge and take a bus/van there.
 * A taxi from Pristina should not cost more than around €35, or there is a bus for much cheaper. When arriving from the Albanian side of the bridge, your taxi driver will often urge you not to cross the bridge for fear for your personal safety. While noble, this is a largely inaccurate impression is largely created by the international media. Smile politely, tell him you know what you are doing and he will take you to Mitrovica bridge.
 * A taxi from Pristina should not cost more than around €35, or there is a bus for much cheaper. When arriving from the Albanian side of the bridge, your taxi driver will often urge you not to cross the bridge for fear for your personal safety. While noble, this is a largely inaccurate impression is largely created by the international media. Smile politely, tell him you know what you are doing and he will take you to Mitrovica bridge.
 * A taxi from Pristina should not cost more than around €35, or there is a bus for much cheaper. When arriving from the Albanian side of the bridge, your taxi driver will often urge you not to cross the bridge for fear for your personal safety. While noble, this is a largely inaccurate impression is largely created by the international media. Smile politely, tell him you know what you are doing and he will take you to Mitrovica bridge.

Get around
The usual combi system applies in the south, in the North you can walk anywhere you need to get to. If you want to travel on further to towns to the north of Mitrovica such as Zvecan or Zubin Potok, you will have no trouble finding a cheap taxi service.

If you are coming from Belgrade to North Mitrovica and planning on going on to Pristina you have two options:
 * 1) You can walk across the main bridge (about 400 m to the south of where the bus dropped you off) and then find a combi to Pristina for €1.50
 * 2) Get off the bus in Zvecan (before arriving in Mitrovica) where you can transfer onto UNMIK Railways. The trains run about every three hours. The train will take you to Fushë Kosovë where you can then take a combi to Prishtina

Taxis are as cheap as they are anywhere in Kosovo, but once again don't count on taking a taxi across the bridge.



See
Mitrovica is an old industrial mining town (some creative theorists say NATO bombed Kosovo to capture the 'rich' mines of Mitrovica).
 * Church of Saint Sava
 * Mosque Isa Beg
 * Church of Saint Sava
 * Mosque Isa Beg
 * Mosque Isa Beg
 * Mosque Isa Beg
 * Mosque Isa Beg

For those with an interest in ruined communist industrial architecture, there is a wealth of it on display in and around Mitrovica, particularly around the Trepca complex.

At the center of the south (Albanian) side, there are a number of cafes, pizzerias, restaurants, and shops, as well as a mall. There is also outdoor, public market just south of the mall. Internet cafes abound in Mitrovica. If you take a walk around various parts of town, you can still see a part of town marked by destruction (toward the west on the Albanian side - the gypsy quarter), craftsmen and artists, rolling hills, etc. Bread, pizza, and doners are available all over town for a good, inexpensive meal.

Sights on the south side include a market square with mosque, historic building (spared during 1990s fighting). People watching and relaxing along southern bank of Ibar River, near Mitrovica Bridge.

Do
Walking around the town on foot is the best way to explore it. Evenings are full of young people going up and down the main thoroughfares. So expect to meet the same faces many times around.



Buy
In North Mitrovica near the main bridge you can purchase post cards with a picture of an F-117 Stealth fighter with a target on it and the text 'Sorry, we didn't know it was invisible.' A wealth of such memorabilia is available for purchase.

In South Mitrovica you will find American and Albanian flags for sale. Local crafts found in stalls and department stores. Also look out for local and national football (soccer) clothing.

Currencies
In most of Kosovo the Euro is used, so ATMs will dispense euros. However in North Mitrovica the Serbian dinar is expected by most cafes and shops. Some taxis will accept both dinars and euros.

Drink
Dolce Vita (north side of bridge): once a smoke-filled cafeteria that played music of the Serbian nationalist variety, it is now a fairly upmarket cocktail bar.

Sleep
It will be extremely difficult to find accommodation in Mitrovica. You have a huge number of motels and hotels in and around Mitrovica where to have accommodation where you can rest and sleep.
 * Motel Seadi-Petrol
 * Motel Seadi-Petrol
 * Motel Seadi-Petrol
 * Motel Seadi-Petrol

Go next



 * Vushtrri - small town with Roman and Ottoman heritage
 * Pristina - Kosovo's capital city.
 * Istog - a rural town in northern Kosovo.
 * Peja - town with much Ottoman as well as Orthodox (Serb) heritage. A hub for outdoor sports in the spectacular surrounding mountains: the nearby Rugova Canyon is one of the outstanding areas of the country and a ski site in the winter.
 * Novi Pazar daily bus connection. A multicultural area of Muslims and Orthodox Christians, many monuments of both communities like the Church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul and the Altun-Alem mosque are found in the region.
 * Nis is the largest city of southern Serbia.