DAY TWO HISTORY & NATURE IN PEJA

Morning

Rise early and make for the city of Peja, in the mountainous Rugova region. Its Old Bazaar, which was razed to the ground during the Kosovo War, has since been rebuilt and is worth a look. Follow your nose to the Saturday cheese market in the nearby marketplace before visiting the Museum of

Peja, which is set in the restored former home of a merchant. Inside, artfully reconstructed rooms transport visitors to bygone eras. On the ground floor, displays of shimmering ceramics, local textiles and everyday items like coffee grinders and cooking pots give an intimate insight into the region. A 10-minute walk west from here, the Art Design restaurant straddles a gurgling mountain stream, making for a relaxing lunch stop. Traditional bites include meaty stuffed peppers known as speca dollma. pejamuseum.org

Afternoon

Seven miles north of Peja, the White Drin Waterfall plunges 82ft from the tip of a rocky outcrop on a mossy mountain gorge. From the modern resort at its base, follow a paved pathway through a forest to the foot of the falls, then up a steep flight of stairs to its gushing brink. On your way home, stop off in the nearby village of Radavc to peek inside Bërdynaj Mill. Thought to have been built over 300 years ago, the stone flour mill has been owned by the same family since 1925 and still relies on the river to power its hulking millstone. Back in Peja, pick up a cultural trail map from the tourist information centre opposite Hotel Dukagjini and stroll the town in search of historical relics, from a crumbling former hammam to the 16th-century Kursumli Mosque, one of the oldest buildings in the city. facebook. com/pejatouristinfocenter

Evening

Wind down with drinks at any of the convivial bars on William Walker Street. Keep it local and order a belly-warming shot of rakia (fruit brandy) or try a glass of Birra Peja’s Crudo beer, brewed with water from the mountain spring-fed White Drin River. Wine lists tend to be dominated by bottles produced by Stone Castle Vineyards and Winery, Kosovo’s largest winery, but keep an eye out for drops by boutique operations such as family-run Daka Wine. For dinner, soak up Peja’s architectural heritage at the Hotel Kulla e Zenel Beut, a renovated homestead serving traditional food from its ground-floor restaurant. Characterised by beautiful masonry and narrow, arched windows, the Kulla harks back to a time when homes were built to protect occupants from enemy invasion. kullazenelbeut.com

Below: The Patriarchate of Peć monastery in Peja has played an important part in preserving Serbian Orthodox traditions