White Tree Hostel

Top choice in Pristina


Pristina's best hostel is run by a group of well-travelled locals who took a derelict house into their care, painted the tree in the courtyard white and gradually began to attract travellers with a cool backpacker vibe. It feels more like an Albanian beach resort than a downtown Pristina bolthole.

Dorms have between four and eight beds plus there are a couple of decent double rooms with private bathrooms. There's also a fully equipped kitchen and it adjoins a very chilled, semi-open-air lounge bar (open to nonguests), which is a perfect place to meet other young travellers. With bicycles attached to the walls and giant metal sculptures, it's all very Instagrammable. The crew also runs a cocktail bar/nightclub in the same building.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Pristina attractions

1. Newborn Monument

0.31 MILES

These iconic block letters in downtown Pristina look a bit scrappy and worn these days, but they captured the imagination of the fledgling nation when…

2. National Library

0.37 MILES

Easily one of Pristina's most notable buildings, the National Library, completed in 1982 by Croatian Andrija Mutnjakovic, has to be seen to be believed …

3. National Gallery of Kosovo

0.47 MILES

This excellent space approaches Kosovan art from a contemporary perspective (don't expect to see paintings from the country's history here) and is worth a…

4. Independence House of Kosovo

0.49 MILES

This small house opposite the stadium is devoted to former president Ibrahim Rugova and Kosovo's recent independence movement. English-speaking guides…

5. Carshi Mosque

0.75 MILES

Due to renovations, this majestic 15th-century mosque was closed to the public at the time of research.

6. Museum of Kosovo

0.82 MILES

Pristina's main museum has recently reopened after extensive renovations. Displays begin back in the misty times of the Bronze Age. There are some…

7. Jashar Pasha Mosque

0.85 MILES

This mosque, which was fully renovated in 2015 as a gift from the Turkish government, has vibrant interiors that exemplify Turkish baroque style.

8. Clock Tower

0.92 MILES

This 26m-high tower dates from the 19th century and was central to the bazaar area, as it dictated when stalls should close for prayers. Following damage…