Introduction to Kosice Slovakia
Is Košice worth visiting? I’d not heard much about this place, so that is the question I asked myself before deciding to go there and find out. I wanted to know the best things to do in Kosice.
Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia, and the largest city in eastern Slovakia. With a population of 250,000, it’s not a large city by most standards. Unfortunately it is often overlooked in favour of the capital city Bratislava. I believe Kosice is one of the most underrated destinations in Europe.
Kosice is a Charming and Beautiful City
I found Košice to be a charming and beautiful city to visit. I’ve been to places like Berlin, where there is loads of things to do, but I didn’t get my camera out often. As soon as I arrived in Košice, I couldn’t stop snapping away.
In my opinion, Košice isn’t packed with hundreds of things to do, and I won’t pretend it is. However, it is one hell of a photogenic picture perfect city. Kosice is an ideal city break destination in Europe.
Before I arrived, I wasn’t sure how to pronounce Košice. After visiting, I’m still not 100% sure! I asked a few locals, my hotel, and restaurant staff, and they all sounded slightly different to my ear. So, here goes, I think it’s pronounced Ko-shit-za. If any Slovaks want to correct me, please do so. I apologise if this is phonetically incorrect, but I think it’s pretty close!
Best Things to do in Kosice, Is Kosice worth visiting?
Walk the main Street – Hlavna Ulica
When you visit Košice, head straight to the centre of town as this where most of the best things to do in Kosice can be found. The long main street is called Hlavná Ulica. The street branches off into two wide pavements. A number of impressive monuments and green spaces run through the middle. This main street is completely pedestrianised, making it perfect to wander through all day.
As soon as I arrived, I just thought wow, this is awesome. The city is the largest preserved historical centre in the country. The buildings are a mix of styles including Gothic, Renaissance and baroque. All around you, the architecture is just asking to be admired and photographed.
Both branches of Hlavná Ulica is jam packed with outdoor seating, catering for all of the restaurants, cafe’s and bars. Everyone chooses to enjoy the beautiful weather, also in the evenings.
I would recommend a gentle stroll along Hlavná Ulica taking in some of the famous landmarks. You’ll pass St. Elisabeth Cathedral, St. Michael Chapel, the Old Town Hall, Miklus Prison, and the Singing Fountain to name a few.
Visit the Eastern Slovak Museum
If you enjoy museums you can spend a few hours at the Eastern Slovak Museum. The museum has 3 departments; the natural history department, the history department and the art-history department.
Enjoy €2 Beers
We needed to escape the heat of the sun frequently, so provided the perfect reason to have a Pilsner Urquell for about €2. Kosice has a great café culture and all of the café’s and restaurants have large sun umbrella’s offering protection from the heat.
It is possible to climb up the North Tower of St. Elisabeth Cathedral, and I would have done that if I could. Unfortunately, the tower was closed at the time, so I was unable to.
So, is Košice worth visiting?
In my opinion, it’s a big yes. Košice makes a perfect weekend getaway, and would be a good alternative to some of the more popular destinations such as Krakow, Budapest or Bratislava.
Another consideration of visiting Košice, is the attractions that are not too far away. If you hire a car for a day or two, you can easily visit all of the following.
Is Slovakia Cheap for Tourists?
Slovakia uses the Euro and is one of the cheaper countries to visit in Europe. It’s not as cheap as some of it’s Eastern European neighbours such as Hungary or Poland, but it offers good value for money
A pint of beer is only €2 in a cafe. You can get a good meal for under €10 and decent accommodation for under €40.
Best Thing to do in Kosice – Day trips from Kosice
Visiting Spiš Castle, Slovakia
The number one day trip to do from Kosice is to visit the ruins of Spiš Castle (Spišský hrad in Slovak) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is one of the largest sites in central Europe.
It sits on a hill 200m above the nearby town of Spišské Podhradie, and was built in the 12th century. It was first owned by the Hungarian monarchy.
Spiš castle is the most visited site in Eastern Slovakia, and it is one of the more impressive castles I have visited to be honest. Entry is cheap, costing only €8, and you can wander around for as long as you like. An hour should be enough to see everything.
You can walk around the castle, and the grounds, which are huge. The views over the landscape below are amazing. There is a number of reconstructed rooms with sets made to reflect how they would have looked when the castle was in use hundreds of years ago.
Spiš Castle is a one hour drive from Košice, and the roads on the way offer great panoramic views of the Slovakian countryside.
Hike in the High Tatras Mountains
The High Tatras Mountains straddle the border between Poland and Slovakia. The region attracts hikers in the summer months, and skiers during Winter.
I did the hike to Czarny Staw, which is actually in Poland. There is many hiking trails that you can begin from the Polish or Slovak side. On our hike, we saw amazing vivid alpine lakes, spruce forests and blossoming fauna.
If you have the opportunity, definitely try to spend a day or two hiking the Tatras Mountains.
Visiting Levoča
Levoča is a small medieval village located just 15 minutes drive from Spiš Castle. The main square is dominated by the beautiful gothic St. James Church, and skirted by burgher and patrician houses.
The most interesting landmark for me was the cage of shame (officially Cage of Opprobium). Dating to the 16th Century, it was used as a public humiliation punishment to unruly women in the village. It was common for the prisoners to have stones thrown at them, and to be spat at! Thankfully, it’s no longer in use!
I wouldn’t go our of your way to visit Levoča, but if you are nearby or visiting Spiš castle, it’s worth a visit. An hour will be more than enough time here.
Visiting Dobšinská Ice Cave
The Dobšinská Ice Cave (Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa cave) is 45 minutes drive from Levoča, and surrounded by Paradise National Park (Národný park Slovenský raj). I’ve added a link to the website, but I found this confusing. It’s perfectly fine just to turn up and book your ticket on arrival for the next available tour.
This is another UNESCO World Heritage site, and is one of the largest ice caves in Europe. When you visit, you need to park at the side of the road, either in front of one of the restaurants, or across the street in a kind of carpark. You may or may not have to pay, depends if someone is there to collect a fee (we didn’t have to when we visited).
From the road, you need to walk about 30 minutes to the entrance and then wait for the next start time. The intervals are every 20 to 30 minutes, and the you have a tour inside the cave that lasts about 20 minutes. Use Google maps, and search for the Dobšinská Ice Cave Parking. It’s not obvious when you arrive, so look out for a huge wooden entrance on the grass verge. If you see that, you’re in the right place.
I wasn’t expecting anything like this in the middle of the Mountains as it was so hot when we visited in July. Bring an extra layer, it does get cold obviously!
Visiting Kežmarok
Kežmarok is another little village, about 20 minutes drive from Levoča (in the opposite direction to the Ice Cave unfortunately).
It has pretty little streets, a small castle, some historical landmarks, and of course some churches. I would say again, I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit here, but if you’re nearby, it’s worth spending an hour or so here to have a walk about.
How to get to Košice
You’ve answered the question, Is Košice with visiting, yes! but how do you get to Kosice? Kosice is well connected to other European cities by flight, train and road. Kosice has an international airport you can fly to directly from a number of European cities.
It’s also easy to get to from neighbouring Poland and Hungary. I visited on a trip stating in Poland. I hired a car in Zakopane (South Poland) and drive to Košice. The Road conditions on route were good, and there wasn’t too much traffic.
- Drive from Budapest to Kosice in less than three hours, 260km. Alternatively a train between Budapest and Kosice takes about four hours.
- Drive from Zakopane to Kosice in less than three hours, 175km.
getting around in Kosice
Once you have arrived in Kosice it is easy to travel around by foot. The main central area is only 2 to 3 blocks wide and 10 blocks long.
To visit the other sites recommended as day trips I advise a rental car. Public transport will be possible but would take a lot longer and this isn’t something I considered.
Is Kosice Safe?
Slovakia is generally a safe country in central/eastern Europe. Always be aware of your belongings and don’t leave anything unattended.
Kosice is a safe place to visit, with the streets often busy late into the night, especially at weekends. If you are staying in a central location you should have no safety concerns. If you are worried at all taxi’s and Uber are cheap.
Where to stay in Kosice
I would advise to stay in the centre of town so it is easy to walkabout everywhere you want to go. If you have a car, check that the hotel has a free car park or can advise somewhere nearby.
I stayed at Hotel Crystal Kosice and would recommend. It is maybe a couple of blocks further away from the centre than I would have liked. It does have a free car park and the rooms were very neat and tidy and the staff were helpful.
What is the weather in Kosice
The weather in Kosice varies massively between seasons. In winter there is low temperatures of -5°c and in summers it often has highs over 30°c.
As a result, I would suggest visiting between April and June or September and October. I visited in August and it was very hot during the day. All I wanted to do was get out of the sun, so I would avoid peak summer unless you love the heat.
Summary of Kosice, Slovakia
This is my complete guide of Kosice, I hope there are some things to do listed here that are of interest to everyone.
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