The Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa, Pristina - Guide and how to climb the tower

Kosovo and Pristina have been such a pleasant surprise for me on this trip. I ended up extending my stay as I liked the city so much, and if it wasn't on your radar, I'd suggest adding it.

The centre is lovely and feels open, there's a big café culture which I really enjoyed (I will give my tip for the best one in a separate review) and the people are super friendly.

One of the highlights of your trip should be a visit to the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa which you can find on the edge of the centre. When I went to visit (August 2025), they were still doing something to the pathways outside, so you have to enter across some rubble, but from then after, it's all beauty coming your way.

I'm a sucker for a cathedral, church, mosque etc, and this one was no exception. I actually went twice. Once to see inside, and once to go to the top of the tower.

As you can see, they are still completing work on the exterior of the Cathedral

The first time was actually really special. I went in the early evening, and could see it getting busier and busier, and then the service started. It was in Albanian, so I couldn't understand what was going on, but there was lovely singing, another nice moment where people shake hands with each other, and I left the cathedral happy with my unexpectedly wholesome hour.

The interior of the Cathedral is beautiful, and even if you don't stay for the service, it's worth a visit.

The Tower with views over Pristina:

One Sunday, I decided to walk to Albi Mall which is one of Pristina's best ones. It was a good 2KM or so from the centre, I felt I needed the steps after a period being sick, and on the way I walked past the Cathedral.

This time, I noticed people on top of the Cathedral tower, and as I was still looking for more culture than a mall, I decided to give it a go, despite not being great with heights.

You enter the tower to the left of the Cathedral, and the cost of entrance is €2 (prices correct as of September 2025). As you face the Cathedral head on, aim for the door at the base of the tower on the left. Also, congrats to the happy couple!

Here are the prices to enter the tower, and any other relevant instructions for your visit:

Entrance to the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa, Pristina bell tower costs 2 Euros

The lift takes a while to get up to where it's going (it is 250 feet high), and then you enter to a small section on top of the tower.

I admit, I panicked a bit at the top. As mentioned, my relationship with heights isn't always the best, and this was just a bit too much for me.

One of the first things I noticed, besides the massive drop, was that there is graffiti everywhere. There was another guy clearly struggling at the top, and we would keep ourselves away from the edge, while still looking at the view.

The views themselves are incredible, with the iconic brutalist landmark The National Library visible from one side of the tower. You really can see most of Pristina from this vantage point, and you also get a nice perspective of the other tower.

I wasn't brave enough to put my hands through the guardrails

I lasted about 5 minutes, before I went back down. I couldn't bring myself to go right to the guardrails, so my photos feature them in, but alas, it was interesting to see Pristina from a different angle.

Conclusion:

Whether or not you take the tower trip, you should still add a stop to the Cathedral of Saint Mother Teresa to your Pristina itinerary.

Despite some construction work taking place on the pathways outside, it's all beauty from that point onwards, with the interior particularly standing out to me.

The tower was a bit too high for me, so you height phobia people, be aware. If you don't struggle though, the cost of 2 Euros is a huge bargain as you really can see pretty much the whole city.

If you do make the trip, enjoy!