Košice

Košice (pronounced Ko-shi-tse) is the second largest city in Slovakia, with a population of almost 240,000 (in 2021). It was the European Capital of Culture in 2013. Despite its relative remoteness, you may likely find Košice a hidden, unknown and approachable gem when seeking for a lesson in less known European history, lively arts scene or for a less spiritual entertainment thanks to its vibrant party scene.

Understand
Košice has had a colourful history with its ever changing medieval and modern rulers of Hungarians, these days hardly imaginable Turks for a while, Czechs and nowadays Slovaks. Serving its part as a centre of what may best be described as a frontier of Slovak hill country, Hungarian lowlands and Ukrainian/Russian/Soviet East, it has become a predominantly Slovak city in what was then Czechoslovakia after its emergence in chaos of reconciliations after the First World War. Until these days the city is inhabited by descendants of east Slovak dwellers with many relations in the gorgeous rural surroundings of the city who were flocking to the town during its industrial boom after the World War II and a large Hungarian speaking minority along with its fast growing underprivileged and often resented population of Gypsies (or Romas as is their official naming).

A smart, patient and crying with the wolves traveller may find the city suffer from what may best be described as a small man syndrome, a feeling shared by many locals probably best attributed to being the second city in Slovakia and a place not often visited from elsewhere. This may however help in engaging with many residents who may seem to be one of those lovely people who actually enjoy foreigners visiting their place.

The city prides on being known as "The City of Peace" thanks to non-violent ethnic and national tolerance throughout its history. Visitors can get a view into the history of a lesser known corner of Europe, and at the same journey enjoy a lively art scene and nightlife.

Orientation
Košice sits in a basin, above 200 m above sea level, where the Hungarian plains meet the Carpathian mountains. A few suburbs have been built on the mountainsides, though not much higher than the rest of the city. Towards the south, along the Hornád river the plains open up; but unlike what one might expect of a city and a river, it passes through the suburbs of Košice rather than going right through the core. A landmark south of the city is a massive steel plant, the U. S. Steel Košice, employing over 10000 people.

Speaking of the core of the city, it's centered around the St. Elisabeth cathedral and is the largest protected historical downtown in Slovakia. There you can find much of the city's attractions, restaurants and bars. The periphery of the city is mostly made up of apartment blocks from the Communist times and have little to offer the average visitors aside from a few cheap places to sleep.

The mountains surrounding Košice, especially on the western side, and their forests are excellent places for hiking which is a popular pastime with locals. Outdoor areas such as Kavečany, Jahodná, Bankov et Čermeľská dolina can be accessed by public transport.

History
The region has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Celtic peoples settled in the region around 300 BC, Slavic people in the 5th century AD. In the 9th and 10th century it was part of Great Moravia, the first Slavic kingdom to be established in Central Europe. Towards the 11th century the region was Christianized, became part of the Hungarian Kingdom and got the name Abov. During Hungarian rule, a city started growing here, fortified during the rule of King Emeric (ruling 1196–1204) and first described as Villa Cassa in 1230.

A few years later the Mongols invaded the region, and in 1241 a battle was fought in Jasov 22 km from Košice. After they were expelled, the region was repopulated with German settlers invited by king Béla IV. In 1250 the Dominicans had a church built, which is the oldest standing building in the city, and the order still occupies the adjacent convent. The fortifications were strengthened throughout the 13th century and in 1290 Košice was granted city status. With the death of king Andrew III in 1301, the House of Árpád went extinct and this resulted in a war of succession where Košice supported different kings, with a major battle fought in Rozhanovce just east of the city in 1312. Eventually peace returned and Košice got the status of a royal city in 1347. In the 15th century the city grew both in population and importance, among other things the cathedral was built and Košice had around 10,000 inhabitants in 1480s – a lot for a city during the Late Middle Ages.

Košice saw troubles again during the following centuries. In 1526 Hungarians fleeing the Turkish invasion sought refuge in the city. A fire ravaged the city in 1556. And in 1597 the Catholic bishop of Eger, fleeing the Turkish advance, settled in Košice which was Protestant stronghold. He wanted to make the cathedral to a Catholic house of worship, and made a coup in the city in 1603 to further his goals with the support of the Austrian emperor. This led to a series of uprisings against the Habsburgs over the following century, ending in the Peace of Satu Mare (Szatmár in Hungarian) in 1711.

This was followed by two centuries of peace and prosperity. Hungarian aristocracy made the city a home, and many grand buildings were built during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Industrial Revolution reached Košice in 1791 when a hat factory was built, in 1860 the first train services arrived and horse-pulled trams started serving the city in 1891 (they were electrified in 1914). After the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867, when Hungary regained some of the privileges that had been taken away by Austria after the uprising of 1848, authorities made the formerly trilingual (Slovak-Hungarian-German) and -cultural city a more Hungarian one. In that, the cathedral was renovated, the State Theatre was built, and the remains of Francis II Rákóczi (leader of the 1703 rebellion against Austria) were brought to the city.

Having been part of the Hungarian kingdom for almost a thousand years, Košice became part of Czechoslovakia which was formed after WWI. The city briefly became Hungarian again in 1938 when annexed by Hungary, and during WWII Hungary was occupied by Germany. Jews made up about 20% of the city's population before the war, and they were deported to concentration camps in 1944. In January 1945 Košice was liberated, was reinstated as part of Czechoslovakia and even served as the temporary capital of the country as Prague was still occupied.

After the war the city grew in size and population, many suburbs were built, and in the 1960s a large metal plant in Šaca south of the city. Like Prague and other places in Czechoslovakia, Warsaw Pact troops invaded Košice in 1968 after the Prague Spring. The Velvet Revolution in late 1989 saw a strike at the university followed by tens of thousands of people demonstrating on the streets. After the fall of Communism, also the Czechoslovakia separated into two separate countries in 1993, and Košice went from being the fifth largest city in the former country to the second largest in Slovakia.

In the 21st century the city is finding its new role as one of the easternmost centers of the new European Union. It provides a look into the not-that-long-gone way of living in an eastern European country while also serving as a lovely example of a booming and rapidly changing place with rich ancient history best served by its stunning historic city center, with an impressive cathedral quickening the hear-beat of every picture hunting traveller.

Climate
Košice has a continental climate with hot and relatively humid summers and cold winters. Summer (July–August) temperatures may rise up to 30 °C with stretches of rainy weeks and maximums of 15 °C, while winter (December–February) weather is mainly freezing with stretches of weeks with significant snowfall and temperatures of -10 °C, interspersed with weeks of positive temperatures during the day.

The city receives relatively a lot of sunshine hours with winter months being the most gloomy. Winds and humidity may make the winter time rather uncomfortable, but temperatures usually stay above those in areas of hilly country north of the city and most of Slovakia. Snow and skiing forecast may vary unpredictably within a week ahead. The best season to visit may be the blooming and lovely spring of late April/May, though damp weather may occur unforeseeably for a week or two regardless of a season. Autumn can also be a good time to visit with warm rather than hot temperatures and precipitation as rain rather than rainstorms, and beautiful fall foliage in October.

Visitor information

 * Official tourism website

Other airports
As the number of destinations from Košice airport is limited, a minibus service is organized to the main regional airports, in particular to Budapest and Vienna.

Such minibuses aren't the only way in from these cities, see By bus and By train for more options, and you can also fly to Bratislava (not that many destinations either) or Krakow.

Otherwise, Flixbus offers routes to Budapest and Vienna airports, though services are irregular and tickets sell-out fast.

By train




Many trains run between Bratislava and Košice. Several connections from Prague are operated daily by night and day trains, which takes about 8 hours. There are anywhere between 4 and 8 daily trains to Budapest, which takes 3 hours 30 minutes, though delays are not uncommon.

A ticket to Bratislava costs just over €20. InterCity trains are a little more expensive and require reservations. Sometimes they are full especially on the eve of long weekends, Christmas, Easter, etc. For Budapest the ticket costs €20 round trip. This is a promotional ticket valid only on the two direct daily trains between the two cities. The one-way ticket is more expensive than the round trip, so you won't even be offered a one-way ticket. There is also a small reduction on the round trip to Prague.

A daily personal car transport service exists between Prague and Košice, 1 train during the day and one train at night. The prices are not too high and the trip is much more relaxing than by road. If it's full from Košice, ask if there is still room from Poprad at 1 hour 30 drive. Book well in advance, especially around Christmas and Easter.


 * Prague
 * 7 hr 48 min, SuperCity Pendolino Košičan
 * There are more daytime connections with a change at Puchov.
 * EN 442, 9½ hr (night train)
 * RegioJet: 8½ hr, 3 trains a day
 * LeoExpress: 8¼ hr, 2 trains a day
 * Bratislava
 * R trains every 2 hr, taking 5 hr 50 min and costing ~€20
 * 4 InterCity trains a day taking a little less than 5 hr, for also around €20
 * Night train Gemeran Poľana (7 hr) costing €25-50 depending on the berth type (triple/double/single)

Be aware that some of the R trains follows a different and slower path, via rural central Slovakia, and the journey lasts for 7½ hr. But it also offers fairly spectacular nature scenes especially at section between Brezno and Margecany. Journeys on many Slovakian trains may be interrupted after 100 km off the starting point while you remain within your ticket validity dates.


 * Budapest: 3½ hr, 2 IC trains a day
 * Vienna: 6¼ hr, one IC train a day
 * Mukachevo: 4 hr, 2 RR trains a day

From Poland, you would need to travel to Bratislava and change trains to get to Košice. Leo Express has trains from Krakow to Ostrava, and from Ostrava to Košice though on their website they need to be searched for and booked separately as of January 2022.

By bus


Given the efficiency and value of the train system, you shouldn't need to use the bus system very much. Eurolines, Interbus and Eurobus coaches come to here from numerous European cities, and bus is the most efficient way of reaching the nearby towns. There are also several companies linking Košice with Prague, usually with several stops on the route, including Brno.

Flixbus has direct buses to Kosice from Kraków, Vienna and Prague. LeoExpress has direct buses from Mukachevo and Lviv.

By car
The city forms a crossroads between the north, Poland and the north of Slovakia via Prešov. In the east, the road to Ukraine leads to the main frontier post between these two countries, in the south, it leads to the east of Hungary and Budapest. Towards the west, it is heading to south Slovakia and Bratislava.

The main roads to the city are:
 * 1. class road no. 16 towards Zvolen (E58, E571) — expressway R2 in construction; the way in from Bratislava (450 km), Vienna, Brno and Prague.
 * 1. class road no. 17 towards Milhosť, border 🇭🇺 Hungary (E71) — expressway R4; the way in from Budapest (300 km), eastern Hungary and Romania.
 * 1. class road no. 19 towards Vyšné Nemecké, border 🇺🇦 Ukraine (E50, E58) — motorway D1 up to Bidovce; the way in from Ukraine.
 * 1. class road no. 20 towards Prešov; the way in from Poland, Ostrava and Prague
 * 2. class road no. 552 towards Slovenské Nové Mesto; from easternmost Hungary.
 * 2. class road no. 547 towards Spišská Nová Ves; a scenic sidetrip from the road from Ostrava.
 * 2. class road no. 548 towards Gelnica; from central Slovakia.

Get around
Košice has a small and compact city center, and is mostly navigable by foot. If you are staying in the suburbs, the tram system is cheap and efficient. With good bus and tram connections around the whole city, transport is very easy to handle. You can get practically anywhere by public transport and all the main sights of the city are within walking distance.

By public transport
Public transport is operated by DPMK. English information on their website is limited, the route planner is more informative. Services usually run from 5:00 in the morning to 23:00 in the evening, with a few bus services running during the night.

Ticketing
Tickets for public transport can be bought in various ways. For foreign travelers, probably the most convenient is using one of the available apps. The web page/app mhdke.sk is pretty nice, as you don't have to install anything.

Other forms of tickets include sales points listed below, vending machines (at some stops), newsstands, from drivers or as SMS (if you have a Slovak SIM card). They should to be validated in a machine in the vehicle the first time you're using it, then you can travel and transfer as long as the ticket type is valid. Some ticket prices for adults are €0.90 for a 30 minute ticket, €1 for a 60 minute ticket, €3.20 for a 24 hour ticket and €24 for a 7 day ticket. Tickets for night buses costs more, and buying tickets from the driver also costs more.

In addition to paper tickets there are electronic ticket cards similar to ones on public transit systems elsewhere the world. They can be bought from the sales points, are loaded with electronic money and are used for buying (slight discount compared to paper tickets) and simultaneously validating tickets in the validating machines.



By tram
Trams are numbered 2–9 run and during most of the day, every 10–20 minutes. There are also trams numbered R1-R8 connecting different parts of the city to the huge steel plant, though their schedules are irregular and routes of little use to visitors.

Not all trams are accessible to mobility impaired passengers. In the schedule there's a wheelchair symbol next to departures where trains with a lower floor (ie. wheelchair accessible) are used.

By bus/trolleybus
There's a large bus network allowing you to get around the city and to the suburbs. Buses numbered 51-57 are express lines skipping some stops, and they run mainly during rush hour. Most buses are wheelchair accessible.

There are two "trolleybus lines", 71 and 72, but they are operated by normal buses as of 2024. The overhead lines have been left in place and functional, in case the city decides to buy and operate new trolleybuses again.

Night services
There are seven night buses, numbered N1-N7. They operate hourly from 23:00 to 5:00, all departing from and returning to the railway station. Normal public transport tickets aren't valid here, you need to buy a more expensive ticket (€1.50/60 minutes).

By taxi
Some taxi companies have a flat fare for rides in the city. Going to or from the airport will cost at least €10.

There are always taxis waiting along the main street, at the railway station and airport terminal when flights arrive. Usually ordering a taxi is cheaper than hailing one on the street.



By car
Getting around by car is usually hassle-free, unless there are road works or accidents you will rarely encounter traffic jams. You can rent a car at the airport, most global rental companies have counters there.

Parking in Košice downtown costs on weekdays during the day (June 29, 2024) and on Saturday morning to early afternoon (June 29, 2024). Pay in parking machines or if you have a Slovakian SIM card, by phone.

By bike
There are some biking lanes in the north-south direction along the main streets, and you can bike along the river bank too even though there's no dedicated bike lane there. In the east-west direction there's not really any infrastructure specifically for bikes. In pedestrian zones and parks there's a 10 km/h speed limit for bikes.



By foot
In the old town, walking is the only practical way to get around as there's no public transport and many streets are pedestrianized.

See


Most of Košice's attractions are along the main pedestrianized street, known as Hlavná ulica (Main Street), Námestie Maratónu mieru (Peace Marathon Square, the north end of Hlavna), and Námestie osloboditeľov (Square of the liberators, at the southern end of Hlavna) at various parts.

With its unique atmosphere Hlavná ulica creates the heart of the town. In the past, it used to be a medieval square and the whole town started to grow from this point. Now this place is flat, however in the past it used to be hilly and even a stream flew there.

The "Čermeľský potok" (The Tshermel stream) used to create an island on the main street, where the Saint Elizabeth cathedral is located now. Due to developing infrastructure, this stream was filled in in 1899 and was renewed only symbolically during the renovation of the main street in the 1990s.

Today, all the traffic from the main street is excluded, therefore it is a very pleasant pedestrian site. Except the Saint Elizabeth Cathedral, you will find also the Saint Michael Chapel, Urban tower, the State Theater, the so-called singing fountain (a unique fountain in Europe), as well as many stylish original bourgeois houses.

The oldest sights in the city are from Medieval times, including the ruins of fortifications, the Mikluš Prison housing a museum of Medieval justice, the Katova bašta (city walls) and the castle outside the city.

Museums and galleries






Churches












Palaces and houses
























Monuments and statues








Ruins and cemeteries






Jewish Košice
Jews were allowed to settle in Košice in 1840 and in a century the city developed into and important center of Jewish culture. In 1938, about one in five of the city's inhabitants were Jewish, but in 1944 the ruling fascist Arrow Cross party had them deported to Auschwitz to be killed. Today a small Jewish community lives in the Košice, but there are still a couple of monuments from the time before; the old and new synagogues, the House of Arts that formerly was a synagogue, and a cemetery from the 19th century. There's also a Holocaust memorial and a Jewish section at the main cemetery (see above).







Parks






Other




Do




Cultural life




Winter and spring




Fall and Cristmas season








Athletics




Team sports

 * Football: FC Košice play soccer in 1. Liga, the top tier. Their Košická futbalová aréna (capacity 12,500) is 2 km southwest of town centre.
 * Football: FC Košice play soccer in 1. Liga, the top tier. Their Košická futbalová aréna (capacity 12,500) is 2 km southwest of town centre.

Swimming
In addition to the indoor pool downtown, there are three outdoor pools usually open from late June to early September depending on the weather.



Skiing




Hike


All hiking trails in the gorgeous surroundings of the city may be looked up at. Apart from magnificent, relatively close and serious mountains of High Tatras (~1½ hr on the train to Stary Smokovec with a stopover in Poprad, take one of the faster 'rychlik' trains) you may take up on an easily public transport approachable Bankov [bunkow] (hop on a bus #14 from Havlickova or Mier to Horny Bankov stop) providing nice views of the city, Jahodna [yahhodna] (a bit more distant, small but enjoyable also on summer days ski resort, the #14 bus also), or Vyhliadkova veza (the sightseeing tower, overseeing the city, #29 bus from center, direction at the Zoo or 'Kavecany').

For a more challenging hike you may take the train to 'Ruzin' stop (you need to take the slower 'osobny vlak' train as the faster ones stop in farther Margecany station only), walk up the hill splurging in wonderful views of the surrounding hill country and the Ruzin dam along the yellow trail. The trip up and to the other side (take the green trail straight to the west then) of the Sivec [seewatz] hill (Kosicke Hamre bus stop, with last bus connection to Kosice at 17:24) takes about 2½ hours and makes for great views and photographs.

For a shorter and easier hike to Sivec take the bus from bus station to Kosicke Hamre and walk up the hill on the green trail. Mid-range accommodation and food is provided at Kosicke Hamre at 'Sivec Pension' and 'Bradan'. Ruzin dam also makes up for nice fishing (permit required) and boat rides. For another lovely day-trip, you may take the 30 minute 'osobny vlak' train south to Slanec [slahnetz] township and enjoy lovely sights from the top of the hill with interesting ruins of a small medieval castle. For those interested in less distant history, take the bus from bus station to Dargov, a place of a major World War II battle with real tanks and a war museum. A trip entertaining for kids with lovely surroundings asking for a hike and with the Herlany geyser in medium hiking distance.

Itineraries
There are a lot of numbered paths, and they can be combined to create hiking trips suitable to your time, interest and physical condition.



For hiking SHOcart maps with a scale of 1:100000 can be found at libraries and supermarkets. Map N°233 - Slovenský kras, Slovenský Raj, Slovenské rudohorie – východ covers the city and the mountains west of it. Map N°235 - Dolný Zemplín covers the city and the region east all the way to the Ukrainian border. On these maps, all paths are marked together with estimated times for hiking and biking. An online alternative is mapy.hiking.sk.

Learn




Work
Citizens of EU countries can work freely in Slovakia, but need to get a compulsory public health insurance and register at the foreigner's police. Citizens of other countries also need to obtain a residency card, allowing them to open a bank account and get the aforementioned health insurance.

Salaries are low compared to Western Europe, and lower than in Bratislava.



Buy
You won't need to walk or travel long distances anywhere when craving for shopping in Košice while you stay in the center or most inner city areas. There are quite a few shopping malls in Košice, you may also find many historical center buildings hide interesting and chick boutiques while roaming around.

Shopping malls








Artisans
Hrnčiarská, literally "Potter's street", has several boutiques selling artisanal products:



Markets
There are many markets selling fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers - in addition to the ones listed below, several smaller neighborhood markets. The main market is downtown at Dominikánske Námestie.



Eat
Hlavna and adjacent streets has the greatest concentration of restaurants. In outer districts you will find popular pizza places. Prices usually are a bit higher downtown. On Sunday restaurants often open only for dinner. There's just one completely vegetarian restaurant (Ajvega) but most restaurants have one or several vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Drink
Košice is faithful to its east Slovakian tradition in providing great and cheap parties for both locals and travellers while competing with many of Europe's much bigger and more often visited cities in what travel books usually call 'liveliness'. Season may vary with summer months unexpectedly providing a bit of a lull in usual Friday/Saturday silliness but city's center compact and concentrated bar scene provides many hidden gems disregard of day of week or month of the year.



Non-alcoholic
There many ice cream shops, many open during the summer but some around the year, functioning as pastry shops in the winter. Ice cream shops seem to have the same prices all around town.









Beer bars








Cocktail bars




Discotheques and nightclubs






Budget






Mid-range












Splurge












Stay safe
Avoid parks and the train station surroundings at night. Do not be overly generous to the homeless and pay caution to impoverished Romanis (also known to some as Gypsies) including children and do not engage with them. Call 112 for medical, police or fire department help.

Avoid the area known as Luník IX, which is populated by Romani and is known for crime and public safety problems.

If you walk evening Hlavna after seeing everything 'important', do not hesitate to ask around. Only beware of getting caught up in acts of suspicious types, visiting parks at nights etc., as this place, though being relatively safe, really may be called the frontier of civilized part of Europe at times. Common safety measures for women and lone travelers are advisable.

In Slovakia


Any destination in Eastern Slovakia is accessible as a day trip. This includes the High Tatra mountains, and many world heritage sites: the towns of Bardejov and Levoča, Spišské Podhradie castle, beech forests, Slovak Karst National Park and wooden churches.

In addition, there are destinations nearby in the region which are less than an hour away accessible by direct public transport:



In Hungary
Hungarian destinations are hard to access by public transport. If you have a car or a bike, however, it's easy to get to the villages in the Zempléni-hegység massif, the Tokay vineyards and other places in Northern Hungary.

By public transport, and a bit of walking, you can make trips to these places in Hungary:



Further away
There are a few trains per day (2½ hr) to Chop (Čop/Чоп) in Ukraine if you're looking for just another country. As of 2023 this may not be a good idea due to the war.

Bratislava, other destinations in Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and Poland are accessible by public transport. See.

By hitchhiking
It's easy to hitchhike out of town.