Things to do in Košice
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Košice
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months. Terraces open, gorges green, harvest and marathon season, queues manageable.
Hot and fully open but Slovak Paradise and the Tatras are at their most queued.
Shoulder value. April reopens caves and castles, November is cosy and cheap but grey.
Worst months. Fountain off, show caves closed, gorge ladders iced and the zoo visit halved.
What's on
- Košice Peace Marathon First Sunday of October each year
Europe's oldest marathon through the historic centre. Book accommodation months ahead.
- Art Film Fest Mid to late June
Slovakia's oldest international film festival across city cinemas including Kino Usmev.
- White Night Early October each year
Contemporary light art installed across the city at night.
- Street Food Festival Usually late May
Street food festival at Kasarenske namestie in late May.
- Days of the City of Košice early May
City celebrations around the 7 May coat of arms anniversary.
- Christmas Markets late November to late December
Stalls and lights along Hlavná. December weekend hotels fill.
- Košice Music Spring April-May
Philharmonic flagship season in spring.
- International Jazz Festival October
Autumn jazz festival running since 1995.
Best things to do in Košice
Dóm svätej Alžbety
Slovakia's largest Gothic cathedral anchors the city and its tower gives the best Old Town panorama.
Hlavná
A near kilometre pedestrian promenade of palaces, terraces and theatres that works as one slow sight.
Spievajúca fontána
Music and light fountain between cathedral and theatre that locals use as the city's living room.
Východoslovenské múzeum
Come for the vault room holding the Kosice Gold Treasure, one of Europe's great gold hoards.
Miklušova väznica
Medieval prison and executioner's rooms beside Crafts Lane give the Old Town its darker, working side.
Tabačka Kulturfabrik
Former tobacco factory turned cultural centre where the city's gigs, cinema and courtyard nights happen.
Národné divadlo Košice
Neo-Baroque home to opera, ballet and drama at a fraction of Vienna prices.
Štátna filharmónia Košice
The city's philharmonic in the House of Arts is the classical concert choice and festival engine.
Where to stay in Košice
Staré Mesto
first trip, all-round base
Everything is under a ten minute walk and the area stays lit and populated late.
Bankov
quiet couples stay
Forest setting ten minutes by taxi, chosen deliberately for rest rather than sightseeing convenience.
Terasa
long stay on a budget
Ordinary residential district with cheaper guesthouses but a tram ride to every dinner.
Think twice about
- Luník IX
Deprived settlement with no visitor accommodation or infrastructure. Do not base here and do not visit as sightseeing.
- Košice main station forecourt
Scruffiest few hundred metres in the centre and empty after midnight. Use a taxi instead of waiting there.
- Barca and the Aupark retail zone
Retail parks and roads with nothing to walk to in the evening. Fine for an early flight, wrong for the city.
Best restaurants in Košice
Republika Východu
Modern bistro showing the lighter seasonal side of Slovak ingredients, from breakfast to dinner.
Villa Regia
Best traditional Slovak dinner in the centre, from garlic soup to duck and halusky.
Le Colonial
Long running fine dining room locals choose for anniversaries and business dinners.
Kaviareň Slávia
Grand Secession cafe restaurant where coffee and cake in the afternoon is a city ritual.
Rosto Steak House
Dry aged steaks aged on site, the deliberate change of pace from dumplings and goulash.
Pizzeria Zvon
People's choice pizzeria off Hlavná that delivers a cheap dinner that does not feel cheap.
Hostinec Pivovar
Brewery pub pouring house and Czech style beers with proper Central European pub food.
Dobré Časy
Best known beer house for rotating Slovak and Czech craft taps with staff who know them.
Outdoor things to do in Košice
Suchá Belá
Classic gorge hike climbing ladders and bridges beside waterfalls, thrilling without being technical.
Spišský hrad
One of Central Europe's largest castle ruins, worth the trip for scale, walls and Tatras views.
Levoča
Preserved walled town paired with Spis Castle, home to the world's tallest wooden Gothic altar.
Tokaj
Volcanic cellars and sweet aszu plus dry Furmint in Slovakia's smallest wine region.
Štrbské Pleso
Glacial lake with shore walks and onward hikes that give a Tatras taster in one long day.
Hrebienok
Funicular reached terrace for waterfalls and mountain huts without a full ridge hike.
Zádielska tiesňava
Two kilometre limestone gorge near the city that is usually almost empty.
Jasovská jaskyňa
UNESCO listed show cave with an easy guided loop, ideal paired with Zadiel on a hot day.
Best hotels in Košice
Hotel Yasmin
City design business flagship with spa and full service, seven minutes from the cathedral.
DoubleTree by Hilton Košice
International standard rooms at the south end of Hlavná at Slovak prices.
Hotel Bankov
Heritage forest hotel that is a quiet stay in itself for couples who accept commuting into town.
Golden Royal Boutique Hotel & Spa
Richly furnished boutique with spa and personal service on a quiet Old Town street.
Penzión Hradbová
Value star with guest only wellness and breakfast far above its price, minutes from the cathedral.
Villa Regia
Small warm guesthouse above one of the city's best Slovak restaurants.
Vila Terrasse
Highly rated western edge guesthouse that trades a tram commute for a lower price.
Is Košice expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €100 a person |
| Splurge | €200 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Národné divadlo Košice: a few days ahead
- Štátna filharmónia Košice: a few days ahead
- TheRooms: a few days ahead
- Tokaj: weeks ahead
- Golf Alpinka: a few days ahead
- Golfový rezort Black Stork: a few days ahead
- Republika Východu: a few days ahead
- Villa Regia: a few days ahead
- Book Old Town hotels months ahead for Peace Marathon weekend and Art Film Fest week.
- Book Villa Regia, Republika Vychodu, Rosto and Le Colonial days ahead at weekends.
- Check weather, cave schedules and railway running days the night before excursions.
Is Košice safe?
- Watch bags on crowded Hlavna terraces and use a taxi from the station after midnight.
- Carry cash for Slovak Paradise entry points and Dobsinska Ice Cave. Emergency number 112.
Košice travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Guides recommending Med Malina are out of date because the restaurant is permanently closed.
- Aupark and Optima are ordinary malls, not sights.
- Do not combine Bardejov with Spis Castle in one day because they lie in opposite directions.
Getting around Košice: public transport and more
- Walk the flat pedestrian Old Town. Trams and buses cover the zoo, Bankov and the station.
- Bolt is cheap in the city. Rent a car only for excursion days.
- Trains link Kosice with Budapest in about 3 to 3.5 hours and Bratislava in about 5 hours.
Who Košice suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Košice your trip
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