Alcohol
Alcohol in Kosovo is relatively cheap and drunk in moderation. Beer is widely available, the most well known local brand being Peja, a light beer from the city of the same name in the western part of the country. Wine is gaining in popularity, helped by the local clement weather which favours the growing of several types of grape. The Stone Castle vineyard just outside Rahovec, some 25km northwest of Prizren, produces a number of very drinkable wines, many of them sold in restaurants and bars around the country. The local firewater is raki, a distilled spirit made from grapes. Note that many cafés, bars and restaurants do not serve alcohol during Ramadan.

Crime & Safety
The local population easily qualifies as one of the friendliest in Europe, if not the world. Smiles and nods are returned with glee and the people are genuinely interested in who you are. The crime rate in Prizren is very low compared to other European cities, though visitors should always keep an eye on valuables and never leave wallets, mobile phones and other articles unattended, and avoid walking in unlit streets at night. Gaping holes in pavements and roads are probably the biggest cause for concern. The foreign embassies in Pristina should be your first port of call if you find yourself in any serious difficulties.

Disabled travellers
With the exception of a few new hotels, restaurants and government buildings, no facilities for the disabled exist in Kosovo. A local organisation called Handicap Kosova (Handikos) monitors the implementation of the national action plan for the disabled.

Electricity
When it works, electrical current is 220v AC and is distributed by Kosovo's KEK electricity company via standard European round, two-pin sockets. Power cuts do happen, with back-up generators filling the void when the lights go out. Countless well-paid foreign experts have been working on the tricky power situation for the last decade. In short, bring a torch.
 
Government, EULEX & KFOR
After the 1999 war, UN Security Council Resolution 1244 placed Kosovo under administration of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Present-day Kosovo, after the declaration of independence, has established its own parliament, government and local institutions, cooperating closely with the EU, represented by the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and which took over from UNMIK in 2010. The Kosovo Police and Kosovo Security Forces work with NATO’s KFOR (Kosovo Force) to establish and maintain security. The European Union remains the largest donor providing assistance to Kosovo and South Eastern Europe as a whole, with Kosovo receiving more than €2 billion since 1999. These funds were initially for emergency relief and reconstruction, though nowadays more is spent on the development of stable institutions and economic development

Health
Travelling with private health insurance is recommended, meaning if you do get ill you’re entitled to treatment at one of the country’s private clinics. The water in Prizren, supplied by four natural springs and the local river, is safe to drink, although bottled water is widely available in shops.

Language
The two official state languages of Kosovo are Albanian and Serbian, although the vast majority of the population speaks Albanian. Prizren is unusual in that it actually has three official languages, namely Albanian, Serbian and Turkish. Gorani, Romani and Bosnian are also spoken in and around the city. Major road signs are marked in Albanian and Serbian, with the Albanian spelling on top and the Latin rendering of the Serbian name underneath. Road signs inside Prizren’s city limits are in Albanian, Serbian and Turkish. To make things more complicated, Albanian city names have two different endings (Prizren/Prizreni, Prishtina/Prishtinë etc) and many places are known by both their Albanian and Serbian names (Peja/Peć). The word Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë in Albanian) incidentally comes from the Serbian word for blackbird (kos). Very few people working in the service industry in Prizren and its surroundings speak English. It’s possible however to get by with a little German, a smattering of French and the inevitable sign language.

Money & Costs
Kosovo uses the euro (€). Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200 and €500. Coins, whose design depends on in which country they were minted, come in denominations of €0.01, €0.02, €0.05, €0.10, €0.20, €0.50, €1 and €2. Cash is still king in Kosovo, so make sure you have enough cash on you in and around Prizren as only a limited amount of places accept credit or debit cards, though this situation is changing fast. As everywhere, be wary of card fraud. Don’t let your card stray out of sight when paying for something. ATMs are abundant in urban areas and the best way of getting cash. Life for foreigners is cheap in Kosovo; see the purchasing power box.

Orientation
Street names generally start with rruga (Rr, street) or sheshi (square), although many locals prefer not to use them. Indeed, many workers in hotels, restaurants, bars and shops have no idea of the street name of their establishment, let alone the building number. So, don't be surprised when places that are clearly not on the main square still maintain they are located on Sheshi Shadërvan. People tend to get from place to place by simply asking around when they get lost, something readers of this guide will soon be getting used to doing themselves. You haven’t really travelled until you’ve got completely lost.

Religion
Most Kosovar Albanians and some other communities are officially Sunni Muslims, with a small percentage adhering to the Sufi orders, and a good smattering of Catholics. Relations between the faiths are very good. Kosovo’s Serbian population is predominantly Orthodox. Kosovo, like Albania, is considerably more secular than Turkey or the Middle East; drinking and smoking are not taboos for many, and women's headscarves are a rare sight, especially in urban areas.

Toilets
Public toilets (€0,50) can be found under the bridge opposite the Theranda hotel. Elsewhere, your best bet is to walk into any hotel, café or restaurant and ask when nature calls. Carry an emergency supply of toilet paper to be on the safe side.

Visas and entry formalities
Citizens of the EU, the USA and Canada and can stay in Kosovo for 90 days without further paperwork. In fact, Kosovo has no special visa requirements at all for anybody. As Serbia doesn’t acknowledge Kosovo's independence, it considers it illegal for anyone to be there without a valid Serbian entry stamp, although as long as you enter and leave from a third country there's not much they can do about it. When travelling from Kosovo to Serbia and on to another country, some travellers have reported problems, though these seem to be on the decrease. It's not a problem to travel through Serbia to Kosovo and then leave through a third country.