Te kafet e rakisë

By Daniel Schaaf 

In this blogpost, I wanted to give some special attention to a specific area we have been going out to a lot during our trip. It is actually a street, called 2 Korriku street, but is much more commonly known as Te kafet e rakisë. For the sake of the readability of this blogpost, I will henceforth refer to the area as the Rakia’s Cafés. It consists of some 7-8 bars that nearly overlap in the middle of the street, with only a small path dividing the two sides. Every night that we had come there, the street had been packed with people, and there was a loud sound of people conversing over their drinks. 

Why we loved it 

So why did we choose to go to the Rakia’s Cafés so often? Well, there are several reasons. First of all, the atmosphere was amazing. We felt like we were part of the local culture, as we mingled with the people and listened to their stories. We also enjoyed the music that was playing in the background, a mix of traditional and modern tunes that suited the mood perfectly. Second, the drinks were delicious and affordable. We tried two different kinds of rakia (I mean we are in the Rakia Cafés after all; by the way, Rakia is a local alcoholic beverage made from fruits), and I think it is a bit of an acquired taste, because we all had our difficulties with them (except for you Fatima). Third, the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. They always greeted us with a smile and made sure we had everything we needed. They also gave us some tips on what to see and do in the city, and just really added to the liveliness that was present in the street. 

Who we met 

One of them, whose name we didn’t capture, was especially memorable. He was working at two different bars in the street, and he was always cheerful and energetic. He told us he had another job at another bar during the day. Mind you, he was also there every day that we were there, which was like 8/10 days. Also, the crowd the street attracted was incredibly diverse. One of the people that we talked to said that you are as likely to find your professor there as you are finding fellow students. The Rakia’s Cafés bridge the gap between contemporary trends, and they are a place for everyone. 

Why you should go 

We have been to the Rakia’s Cafés nearly every day of the week, and we never got bored or tired of it. It was one of the highlights of our trip, and we highly recommend it to anyone who visits Pristina. It is not just a place to drink, but a place to socialise, to have fun and to experience the authentic spirit of this country. Mostly, it just really seemed to be the most active part of Pristina, and I do not think a visit to the city can be considered complete without visiting this 2 Korriku street. We are not the only ones that seemed to think this. 

The link to our project 

For our project, we have interviewed people about what they considered to be their safe spaces in Pristina, where they can be themselves, express themselves, have open dialogue and feel safe. I will link the website to our project at the bottom of this blog. When visiting the website, you will see how important the Rakia’s Cafés are to the local youth of Pristina. I hope you get a chance to visit it as well. This is the link to our website: https://turquoise-cod-9z83.squarespace.com/ The password is: PeaceLab