On summer mornings in Peja, most travelers still raise their eyes to the peaks of the Rugova mountains, where trails cut into dramatic canyons and climbers test their strength on sheer limestone walls.
For years, the city’s tourism story ended there.
But lately, visitors are also pausing at places like the old “Haxhi Zeka” Mill, the Museum of Peja, or even small family farms along newly built cycling trails, and discovering something else, the stories of tradition, food, and heritage that makes Peja more than just a gateway to the mountains. All this thanks to the project of diversifying Peja’s tourism through cultural heritage, a project implemented by the Municipality of Peja, with the support of the Municipal Performance Grant, an incentive of the DEMOS project co-financed by the European Union, Switzerland and Sweden, and implemented by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation.
“This project was about balance,” explains Vyrtyt Morina, Head of Tourism in the Municipality of Peja. “Adventure has always been our strong side. But Peja also has a deep cultural heritage, from Ottoman guest houses to artisan crafts. We wanted to show both,” he added.
One of the city’s oldest institutions, the Museum of Peja, has long preserved the history of the Dukagjini Plain, from prehistoric artefacts to embroidered dresses of the 19th century. Yet for years, few entered.
“The first impression wasn’t good,” admits Besa Berisha, the museum’s acting director. “The courtyard was dark; the entrance didn’t invite you in. People walked past.”
With support from the Municipal Performance Grant, the museum received a new wooden gate, lighting, and an improved exterior. The change, Berisha says, was immediate.
“Visitors nearly doubled in six months. Even at night, with the lights, people stop and say: Oh, there’s a museum here.” For her, the difference goes beyond numbers.
“The museum should not just be a place of objects, but of people,” she explains. “When the courtyard is alive with schoolchildren, with concerts, with our event ‘Night at the Museum’ – then history becomes part of everyday life.”
Life along the trails
Tourism diversification has also reached Peja’s rural communities. The project invested in cycling trails that cut through villages and farmlands, connecting adventure with daily life.
In the shadow of the Accursed Mountains, Peja has long been a gateway to Kosovo’s most breathtaking landscapes. Known for its hiking routes, waterfalls, and cultural heritage, the city is now embracing a new way of connecting nature, tourism, and community through cycling.
Raif Gjikolli, the vice president of the mountaineering association “Gjeravica” which traces its roots back to 1928, making it one of the oldest of its kind in the region, says that thanks to the recent efforts, they are being able to engage community and young people, provide training, and contribute to Peja through projects in education, sports, and above all, tourism.
Both the cycling trails, but also interventions in the “Haxhi Zeka” Mill, has helped this local organisation in providing for the local community and tourists in Peja, in different services.
One of the biggest boosts for outdoor tourism in Peja has been the construction of new cycling trails with the support from Helvetas. Before this, cyclists had limited, unmarked routes. Now, through the project routes are marked and Peja has three fully digitalized and marked trails stretching between 29 and 39 kilometers.
“All three start right from Peja’s main square,” Raif explains. “One heads west, another south toward Lubeniq, Strela and Logje, and the third north. Along the way, there are signposts, maps, and even boards highlighting local guesthouses, food stops, and cultural points.”
This design was intentional, to make cycling not just a sport, but a way of driving rural tourism.
“The idea was always to link trails with villages, so visitors can stop for food or even stay overnight. It’s safer than busy main roads, and it creates income for locals.”
For Mujo Kalač, a farmer from the Bosniak community, the trail transformed his goat farm. “It was always just a selling point,” he says. “But now, visitors stop, stay, taste our food, and learn about our traditions.”
Nearby, Metë (Rustem) Isufi, from the Egyptian community, has felt the same shift. “We thought the farm was only for livestock,” he admits. “But the trail opened our horizons. Families now come for educational experiences and children learn about rural life. It gave us a new perspective, and a new future for our family.”
The new trails quickly became the backbone of the Peja Outdoor Tourism Festival, which in just two editions has made a big mark. The event gathers hundreds of visitors from Kosovo and beyond for two days filled with hiking, paragliding, cycling, fishing, and nearly 40 outdoor activities.
“In the latest festival, more than 200 cyclists joined from across the region,” Raif recalls proudly. “It’s the first festival of this kind in Kosovo, and it’s putting Peja on the adventure tourism map.”
Restoring the city’s old Mill
The Haxhi Zeka Mill is more than just an old building in Peja – it’s part of the city’s industrial and cultural heritage. Built in the late 19th century, the mill once played a crucial role in the local economy, providing flour for communities across the Rugova region. But for decades, the upper floors of the structure remained underutilized, silent relics of a busier time.
That began to change with the involvement of Raif Gjikolli, the “Gjeravica” association, and local partners like Vyrtyt Morina. “I had my office on the second floor during a two-year project,” Raif recalls. “But the third floor [of the Mill] was barely being used. We saw so much potential there, so together with the Mountaineering Federation of Kosovo, we pushed to revive it.”
The initiative wasn’t just symbolic, it turned the mill into a living space for trainings, workshops, and international exchanges. A recent highlight was hosting the Slovenian Mountaineering Federation, from a country known as the “Mecca of European mountaineering. ”Their two-day training in the mill left them impressed by both the modern conditions and the preserved heritage character of the site.
“People are amazed when they visit,” says Raif. “It’s not only about the architecture-it’s about giving new life to history, making it a hub for today’s youth and tomorrow’s ideas.”
For Gjikolli, projects like this matter because they connect past and present. “Tourists want experiences,” he explains. “When they walk into the mill and hear the sound of water running again, they don’t just see history – they feel it.”
A new identity for Peja
Altogether, the investment supported 14 different sites: cultural monuments, artisan workshops, farms, trails, and the museum. The goal of the project, Vyrtyt Morina says, is clear – to brand Peja as more than “the city of mountains.”
“Now, a visitor can hike in Rugova in the morning, then in the afternoon visit a museum, a traditional mill, or a farm,” he explains. “It’s a fuller experience. It’s not just adrenaline – it’s culture, it’s food, it’s people.”
Peja’s experiment has already inspired other municipalities to think about tourism differently.
For Gjikolli, continuity is the key. “Restoration is not enough,” he warns. “If we don’t use these spaces, if we don’t keep them alive with culture, they will fall back into neglect.”
