Košice: Hotels, historic centre and culture

The historic centre of Košice is the largest urban heritage reserve in Slovakia. The city is also home to St. Elisabeth Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Slovakia. A miracle that occurred during a ceremony in St. Elisabeth Cathedral in 1352 made Košice an internationally significant pilgrimage site in the Middle Ages.

Culture

St. Elisabeth Cathedral can be experienced from more than just the outside: visitors can climb its North Tower via a spiral staircase. St. Michael's Chapel is a Gothic church dating from the 14th century and has an underground ossuary. Its interior can be visited as part of a guided tour with a guide.

Other institutions also combine historical traces with art and urban history. The Kunsthalle was created from the building of a former swimming pool and is now a centre for presenting contemporary art. The East Slovak Museum has a historical department and changing exhibitions of various kinds. The Košice National Theatre lists opera, ballet, drama and operetta as its stage genres.

A special museum object is the Košice Gold Treasure. It is a find from 1935 consisting of 2,920 coins, three medals and a Renaissance chain. MarathonPoint houses an exhibition about the International Peace Marathon as well as authentic artefacts, adding a sports-history theme to the city's cultural attractions.

Nature

The UPJŠ Botanical Garden in Košice contains more than 4,000 species. Its areas include a dendrological educational trail, greenhouses, cacti, and orchid and butterfly exhibitions. At Košice Zoo, visitors can regularly take part in animal feedings and observe animals in outdoor enclosures, indoor pavilions and terrariums.

Košice City Park is suitable for walking in every season. Music festivals are held there in a beautiful 19th-century pavilion, bringing nature, exercise and events together in a historic setting.

Experiences

The Košice Children's Historical Railway runs through the Čermeľ Valley along a forest route towards Alpinka Košice. The Košice Peace Marathon has taken place in Košice since 1924.

Crafts and gastronomy

The ÚĽUV Regional Craft Centre Košice offers courses for adults and children, including the basics of wood carving and ceramic modelling. The centre also includes a gallery with themed exhibitions on traditional crafts and a shop selling folk art products. Several artists and businesses are based on Hrnčiarska Street, the Crafts Lane. There, visitors can talk to a local potter about the special features of Habán pottery.

At Úsmev Cinema, the Street Food Corner offers a variety of food trucks and typical street-food options from Košice. The Street Food Festival at this location takes place twice a year. The MAME market featuring local brands is also regularly held at Dominican Square.

For the main travel overview: Košice.