Staré Mesto and Hlavná
First-timersAlong the main street: the cathedral, cafés, bars and most of the beds.
Košice city guide
Things To Do In Košice
The eastern capital: Slovakia's largest cathedral, a long pedestrian main street with a singing fountain, and one of central Europe's biggest castles an hour away.
3
Hostels in the city
7.9
Average, from 33 reviews
2013
European Capital of Culture
~60 m
The north tower of St Elisabeth Cathedral
4 ha
The area covered by Spiš Castle, nearby
Slovakia's second city, and the gateway to the east
Košice is Slovakia's second city and its eastern capital, six hours by train from Bratislava and a very different place — closer to Hungary, Poland and Ukraine than to Vienna.
The historic centre is built along Hlavná, a long pedestrian main street rather than a square, lined with baroque and neoclassical buildings and running past the city's great Gothic cathedral.
St Elisabeth Cathedral is the largest church in Slovakia and among the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe. Its crypt holds the remains of Francis II Rákóczi, who led a Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in the early eighteenth century.
Košice was European Capital of Culture in 2013, and that year left it with new venues, a converted barracks arts centre and a noticeably livelier cultural life than its size suggests.
The region around it holds Spiš Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in central Europe, and the Slovak Paradise national park, with its gorges crossed by ladders.
Two days, more with the surroundings.
Where to stay
A long historic main street at the centre of everything.
Near the station
Value and transportJust east of the old town: cheaper rooms and a five-minute walk to Hlavná.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 3 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Košice
St Elisabeth Cathedral is the centrepiece, the largest church in Slovakia. Entry to the main church is free or nearly so; the tower, the crypt with Rákóczi's tomb and the royal staircase are a few euros each and worth it for the tower view over Hlavná.
Walk Hlavná, the long pedestrian main street. In the middle, outside the State Theatre, the Singing Fountain plays music-synchronised water displays through the summer evenings.
Urban's Tower, the bell tower beside the cathedral, and the Chapel of St Michael are next to it.
The Východoslovenské Museum and the Slovak Technical Museum are both good and cheap.
Kasárne Kulturpark, a former military barracks turned into an arts and cultural centre for the 2013 Capital of Culture, holds exhibitions and events.
Then use the city as a base: Spiš Castle, Levoča and the Slovak Paradise national park are all within about an hour and a half.
Free things
Free things to do in Košice
Hlavná and the historic centre are free, and the main body of the cathedral is free to enter or close to it.
The Singing Fountain is free and plays through summer evenings.
The city park, Mestský park, is free and pleasant.
Kasárne Kulturpark often has free exhibitions and events.
The Jesuit and Franciscan churches along Hlavná are free and each worth a look.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Košice
Cheaper than Bratislava. A main is €7 to €13 and lunch menus €5 to €8.
Bryndzové halušky is the national dish here as everywhere in Slovakia.
The Hungarian influence is strong in the east — goulash and paprika dishes are common.
Slovak Tokaj comes from vineyards south-east of the city, across the border from the famous Hungarian region, and is worth trying.
A beer is €2 to €3.50, and Kofola is on tap.
Nightlife
Going out in Košice
Livelier than you might expect. The bars and cafés run along Hlavná and in the courtyards and streets off it.
A beer is €2 to €3.50 and cocktails €5 to €9, cheaper than the capital.
The universities bring a student crowd in term.
The 2013 Capital of Culture year left the city with more venues and a better events calendar than a city of its size would usually have.
It is a place for relaxed evenings rather than big nights.
Getting around
Getting around Košice
The historic centre is walkable, and trams cover the rest of the city for around €1.
Trains from Bratislava take five to six hours, and the route through the Tatras is scenic.
Košice airport has a limited number of direct routes. Budapest is about three and a half hours and Kraków is reachable by bus.
For Spiš Castle and Levoča, trains and buses run in about an hour to an hour and a half. For the Slovak Paradise, go via Spišská Nová Ves.
Costs
What Košice costs
Cheaper than Bratislava. Dorms are €12 to €25, a main €7 to €13, and a beer €2 to €3.50.
A day is €28 to €50.
Slovakia uses the euro, so these are the prices you pay.
Hlavná and the cathedral are free, and the cathedral tower and crypt a few euros each.
Spiš Castle is about €10 and the Slovak Paradise park fee is small.
Safety
Staying safe in Košice
Košice is a safe city and crime against visitors is low.
Petty theft happens around the station at ordinary levels.
In the Slovak Paradise national park, the gorge routes use ladders, chains, metal steps bolted to rock and walkways over water. They are one-way, often wet and slippery, and genuinely demanding — proper hiking shoes, dry conditions and a head for heights are needed.
Brown bears live in the forests of central and eastern Slovakia, and encounters have increased in recent years. On trails, make noise, never approach or feed a bear, and follow any local warnings.
Emergency number is 112, and mountain rescue is 18300.
Day trips from Košice
A vast castle, a walled town and gorges crossed by ladders.
Spiš Castle
A ruined castle complex on a hill covering about four hectares, one of the largest in central Europe and UNESCO-listed.
Slovak Paradise
Gorges and waterfalls crossed by ladders and chains. Demanding, and spectacular.
Bardejov
A UNESCO-listed medieval town with an intact square and wooden churches nearby.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A singing fountain in summer, and a marathon older than most.
October
Košice Peace Marathon
Citywide
Running since 1924, it is among the oldest marathons in Europe.
Summer
Singing Fountain season
Hlavná
Water displays synchronised to music on summer evenings.
December
Christmas market
Hlavná
A market along the main street by the cathedral.
May
City Days
Citywide
The city festival, with events along Hlavná.
September to June
Term time
Citywide
When students fill the bars.
Hostels
Where to stay in Košice
A small scene around Hlavná, cheaper than Bratislava. Live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May to September for the surroundings. Summer brings the Singing Fountain.
Jan
Cold and grey. Quiet
Feb
Cold
Mar
Improving
Apr
Good
May
Excellent. The fountain starts
Jun
Very good
Jul
Warm. Best for the gorges
Aug
Warm
Sep
Superb. Harvest in the Tokaj region
Oct
Autumn colour in the hills
Nov
Grey
Dec
Cold, with a Christmas market on Hlavná
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. Eastern Slovakia is continental — colder in winter and warm in summer — and the Slovak Paradise gorges are best done in dry summer weather.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros — Slovakia uses them.
Slovakia is in the eurozone, so these are the prices you will pay. Spiš Castle and the Slovak Paradise sit in the doing line.
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- Doing things—
Košice travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Košice worth the long trip from Bratislava?
Yes, if you are seeing eastern Slovakia. It is five to six hours by train, but it is a handsome, cheap and lively city in its own right, and it is the base for Spiš Castle, Levoča and the Slovak Paradise.
What is Spiš Castle?
A ruined castle complex on a hill about an hour from Košice, covering roughly four hectares. It is one of the largest castle complexes in central Europe and is UNESCO-listed. Entry is about €10.
How hard are the Slovak Paradise gorges?
Genuinely demanding. The routes use ladders, chains, metal steps bolted to rock and walkways over rushing water, are one-way and are often wet. You need proper hiking shoes, dry conditions and a head for heights.
Are there bears?
Yes, in the forests of central and eastern Slovakia, and encounters have increased in recent years. On trails, make noise, never approach or feed one, and follow any local warnings.
What is the Singing Fountain?
A fountain on Hlavná outside the State Theatre that plays water displays synchronised to music on summer evenings. It is free.
How cheap is it?
Cheaper than Bratislava. Dorms €12 to €25, a main €7 to €13, and a day around €28 to €50.
Who is buried in the cathedral crypt?
Francis II Rákóczi, who led a Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in the early eighteenth century. His remains were brought here in 1906.
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