I took a short trip out of Pristina to visit the Gracanica Monastery about five kilometres southwest. It is a 14th century monastery with a central cathedral that has frescoes dating from this time. Although it has been damaged and repaired over the centuries, the original art can still be seen.
It also appears to still be an active monastery with the ability to buy fruit, vegetables, cheese, and wine that the nuns are creating as part of the work that they do. It was interesting to see a few nuns doing work around the monastery as I toured through the central area.
After taking in the monastery, I had looked up a hike in the area that allowed me to head south from Gracanica and then head east to get up a large hill that would allow me to look back on the town and beyond that to Pristina. It was a warm day and I took the advice of a couple locals in a town I passed who seemed convinced I was on the wrong path. This may have been a mistake as I ended up lost in the bushes and likely didn’t get to the hill I wanted. Regardless, I was able to get to a vantage point that allowed me the view back that I was hoping for.
BorealHiker 