Explore Košice

A taste of Košice

Košice is Slovakia's lovely second city — a calm, cosmopolitan town of about 235,000 in the country's far east, with one of the longest pedestrianised main streets in Central Europe (Hlavná, around 1.2km of cobbled splendour) and the easternmost Gothic cathedral in the world. The dramatic St Elisabeth Cathedral (Dom svatej Alžbety), built between 1378 and 1508 in the soaring International Gothic style, dominates the central square; climb the 160 steps of the southern tower for a brilliant panorama over the red-tiled rooftops and the Slovak Ore Mountains on the horizon. Beneath the cathedral, the small archaeological excavation site reveals the original 11th-century chapel; nearby, the wonderful Singing Fountain (synchronised to classical music) and the State Theatre form the cultural heart of the centre. The brilliantly restored East Slovak Museum (one of the country's largest) tells the layered Slovak, Hungarian, and Jewish history; the Lower Gate at the southern end of Hlavná has a brilliantly atmospheric underground archaeological walk. Košice was European Capital of Culture in 2013 and the legacy has stuck — the Kasarne/Kulturpark (a vast former barracks transformed into a contemporary arts complex) is one of the most exciting cultural venues in Slovakia. Don't miss the day trip up to the dramatic ruined Spiš Castle 80km west, the largest medieval castle complex in Central Europe.