18 February 2008 | The announcement of Kosovo's independence automatically enlarged the Balkans’ tourist map with one more state. Until now, travel in the territory that was an autonomous Serbian province and a UN protectorate was problematic.

An unclear border regime, issues with green cards for automobiles and other insurance and the danger of unrest discouraged many travellers from going into the territory, causing them to avoid it.

Priština, with its atmosphere of a joyful construction site, surprisingly good cafés and restaurants and a population with an average age between 25 and 30, now has the chance to emerge as a centre of positive energy on the Balkans.

The change is expected to lead to gradual ease in the access to the Serbian cultural heritage on the territory – the numerous Christian monasteries and churches, both intact and in ruins, some of which date back to the fifteenth century.

Entrepreneurs in Kosovo have been claiming for some time that the tension in the now former province and its unclear status hinder the development of many possibilities for eco-tourism, as well as the tourism flow to the ski resort Brezovica. The latter, located in the Sharr Mountain, is often described by experts as one of the best on the Balkans, because of its natural features.