Gračanica Monastery, about 10km south of Pristina, is one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture in the Balkans — and for many visitors the single most worthwhile day trip from the capital. Built in 1321 by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin, the monastery church is a masterpiece of the Serbian-Byzantine style, with its characteristic multiple domes rising in tiers above the cruciform plan.
The frescoes inside are extraordinary. Painted shortly after construction, they cover every surface of the interior with scenes from scripture and portraits of the royal family. The colours have faded over seven centuries but remain vivid in comparison to what survives elsewhere. The artist, Astrapas or a member of his school, was working at the peak of the Byzantine painterly tradition.
Today Gračanica is a functioning Serbian Orthodox monastery with resident nuns. Visitors are welcome, but dress modestly (shoulders and legs covered). The monastery is in the Serbian-administered enclave around the village of Gračanica — politically Kosovo, but practically operating as a self-contained Serb community with its own institutions. Public buses run from Pristina; taxis are easy and not expensive.