Europe is a continent that has a proud history and rich culture that attracts millions of visitors each year.

Some of the most popular destinations are, without doubt, countries like Italy, Spain and France.

But for those wanting to explore further afield and avoid the inevitable crowds, one country in particular stands out.

Kosovo has emerged from its turbulent recent past to become the next big tourist destination.

Located in southeastern Europe, it sits in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula, bordering Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and Macedonia.

With an area of 10,887 km², it is today the youngest European country and has a population of 1.8 million people.

It boasts spectacular mountains and some of Europe’s deepest gorges, as well as being dotted throughout with medieval villages.

One of Kosovo’s most interesting towns is Peja, which was built on the ruins of a former Roman settlement.

It is one of the rare towns that maintains both Serbian medieval and Ottoman architecture.

The 12th-century Orthodox Monastery offers up a treasure trove of beautiful frescoes that cover its walls and ceilings.

Kosovans have a particular soft spot for British visitors, given the role the UK’s armed forces played in helping to bring the country’s conflict with Serbia to an end back in the 1990s.

British troops were part of a NATO-led peacekeeping force known as KFOR or the Kosovo Force – something locals have never forgotten.

“The British KFOR guys would be on patrol and sometimes they’d get into the game, we’d pass some balls with them,” Atdhe Muharremi told The Guardian.

“They’d stop, talk to us, join in. It was a way of gesturing, bonding through playing, we didn’t need the same language.

“We saw them as our heroes. They were very nice, very loving with us. 

“It was a certain mutual love without words, the energy we felt. We could sense this love.”