Peć (Serbian Cyrillic: Пећ) or Peja (Albanian: Pejë) is a city and municipality located in the Peć District of Kosovo[a]. According to the 2011 census, the city of Peć has 48,962 inhabitants, while the municipality has 96,450 inhabitants. The municipality covers an area of 602 km2 (232 sq mi), including the city of Peć and 95 villages; it is divided into 28 territorial communities.
Geographically, it is located in an important location on the Peć Bistrica, a tributary of the White Drin to the east of the Prokletije Mountains. The Rugova Canyon is one of Europe’s longest and deepest canyons and is about three kilometres from the city of Peć. The city is located some 250 kilometres (155 miles) north of Tirana, Albania, 150 kilometres (93 miles) north-west of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, 85 kilometres (52 miles) west of Pristina, Kosovo and some 280 kilometres (173 miles) east of Podgorica, Montenegro.
In medieval times the city was the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1346. Later in 1899, the Albanian political organization, League of Peja, was established in the city. The patriarchal monastery of Peć is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo.
In Serbian, peć means “furnace” or “cave”, and its name is probably connected with nearby caves in the Rugova Canyon which served as hermit cells for Serbian Orthodox monks.[2] In medieval Ragusan documents, the Serbian name of the city (Peć, lit. “furnace”) is sometimes translated as Forno, meaning “furnace” in Italian. During Ottoman rule, it was known as Ottoman Turkish İpek (ايپك). The Albanian name’s definite form is Peja and the indefinite Pejë. Other names of the city include Latin Pescium and Greek Episkion (Επισκιον).
Tourism
Peć is rapidly developing a significant tourist infrastructure. You can find information and maps for the “Trail of Cultural Monuments” at the Tourist Information Office as well as maps and attractions in the Rugova Gorge/Canyon and surrounding mountains. Skiing is available at the Ski Center in Bogë nearby. One of the most exciting new attractions is the Peak of the Balkans trail. The trail wanders through 3 countries with spectacular mountain views and can be well-supported by local guides and tour companies. Pećka Banja is a township located in the municipality of Istok, Kosovo. To many people it is known with the name Ilixhe. It is a touristic-health center with services in Istok and in the region,highly developed infrastructure and every service needed for healthy living.[15] The cite has seen a bloom of tourism with a new Zip Line, and two Via Ferrata, built between 2013 and 2016. In the city there are a number of tour operators that function, with Balkan Natural Adventure, being the main one with a full palette of services.
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