Last Updated on 20/05/2024 by kami
It was a beautiful summer day back in 2003 when I visited Kosice, Slovakia for the first time. I didn’t know anything at all about the city, the only reason why I ended up there was my free train ticket and a spare afternoon.
It was only some 2 hours away from Tatra mountains where I was staying and I’ve decided out of the blue that Kosice is a good option to kill some time and see a new place in Slovakia.
And it really was! Even if this visit happened so many years ago my memories are still very vivid in my mind.
I remember how St. Elisabeth Cathedral – the easternmost Gothic cathedral in Europe – took my breath away or how charming I found the main street – Hlavna – with a tiny canal in the middle.
But most of all I remember the dancing fountains in front of the State Theatre – the first fountains of that kind I’ve ever seen!
Kosice essentials
- Where to stay in Kosice: Boutique Hotel Slávia (9.0/10) / Boutique Hotel Bristol (8.8/10)
- Get insured for your trip to Slovakia with SafetyWing
Kosice – the best city in Slovakia!
Since then I’ve been to Kosice some 6 or 8 times (stopped counting a while ago) and each time I’m falling for the city more and more. I really appreciate how it is changing, how cool and laid back it became.
If you ask me Kosice is the best city to visit in Slovakia. Bratislava – the capital city and the best destination for a day trip from Vienna – is pretty nice and pleasant too but Kosice is the place to go!
Not only the old town is way prettier and much more authentic but Kosice has this distinctive charm that makes you feel good there, as you’re in the perfect place.
Tip: When looking for accommodation in Kosice try to find a place in the center, to my within a walking distance to all the major attractions! I’ve stayed in either Hotel Ambassador and Hotel Bristol and can definitely recommend you both! Check out the deals and details on accommodation in Kosice here (click!)
Why I adore Kosice, Slovakia
There are so many small things that I enjoy about Kosice!
I love Kosice cafe culture with so many amazing places to hang out at. Only in the last year, between my two visits in July 2015 and September 2016, at least three great spots have opened and all the old ones are still doing very well.
I love picturesque charming corners like Hrnciarska street with numerous tiny craftsmen shops (this lane is so pretty it’s the screensaver on my phone). I love the architecture of Hlavna street – a perfect example of Central European legacy. These are some of the best Instagrammable places in Kosice.
I love how in the warm days the center of Kosice is full of people, walking around, sitting in the outdoor cafes and enjoying their city. I love how 2013 European Capital of Culture has changed Kosice and what amazing cultural institutions were created then, places that are still working and shaping the present of the city.
And I love Kosice street art scene, definitely the best one in Slovakia.
Every time my train is crossing Hornad river valley and approaching Kosice I’m almost bouncing with joy and feel like I’m arriving at a special place. I try to spend every minute in Kosice as best as I can yet I always leave disappointed, knowing I could have used my time there even better. There are just so many great things to do in Kosice!
And with new direct flights from Warsaw to Kosice with LOT the trip is easier than ever. I flew there last time and the time of the journey was barely 40 minutes! That’s faster than sometimes commuting within the city!
I didn’t plan to write this post, I think that Kosice has already a rather strong position on this blog. But after my recent visit there I feel like paying a little tribute to one of my favorite cities in Europe.
I believe Kosice is a crazy underrated place that can offer so much for everyone (like, recently I was riding an old narrow-gauge train for kids and it was such a joy! and it was still within the borders of Kosice).
I really hope that the city will get more of the much-deserved attention and that next time you’re around this region you will include Kosice in your itinerary too and share my love for the place. And then we can discuss together how amazing it is!
Kosice in pictures
And since a picture is worth a thousand words I will leave you with some Kosice pictures to prove you how right I am with my affection for this place!I’d also like to thank from the bottom of my heart my friends at Slovakia Travel, Visit Kosice and Kosice Region for showing me recently their city. I could see it from another, local perspective and I fell for it even more!
Further reading
I published many articles about Slovakia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- 35 Amazing Places to Visit in Slovakia
- 13 Best Things to Do in Slovakia
- The ultimate list of things to do in Bratislava, Slovakia
- 17 Great Day Trips from Bratislava, Slovakia
- 30 Great Things to do in Kosice, Slovakia
- A Complete Guide to Visiting Spis Castle, Slovakia
- Visit Nitra – the Oldest City in Slovakia
- Visit Levoca – the UNESCO gem in Slovakia
- and more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Central Europe and ask your questions there.
Travel Resources
You can find the best accommodation options at Booking. They have many discounts and excellent customer service. Click here to look for the place to stay in Kosice
Never travel without travel insurance, you never know what might happen and better safe than sorry. You can check the insurance policy for Slovakia here.
I recommend joining organized tours to get to know the place better and to visit more places during your trip. You can find a great selection of tours at Get Your Guide – click here.
Make sure to have the offline map always installed on your phone, they can save you so many troubles. I always use the free app Maps.Me.
For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:
- Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
- Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!
- I’ve included a few handy links of services and products I personally like and use so you can plan your own trip to Slovakia too. They are often affiliate links. This means I will get a small commission if you book/purchase anything through my links, at no extra costs for you. Thank you!
Disclaimer: My trip was in partnership with Visit Kosice but as always all opinions are 100% mine.
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35 Comments
Jasilyn
28/09/2016 at 06:44Such a beautiful city! I love that it looks like a gothic Russian city.
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:39It’s really beautiful indeed! And I think that the location at the crossroads could have a big influence on the look of the city, it is in a way East meets West.
Pattravel
28/09/2016 at 13:08Widzę, że wasza fascynacja Koszycami nadal nie opada. Mnie nadal trochę nie jest tam po drodze, mimo, że mam do niej bliżej niż do Warszawy.
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:44a szkoda, to takie fajne miasto! Moja fascynacja nim rośnie z każdą wizytą!
kirzenska
28/09/2016 at 13:16Very cute city. Streets are so corolfull and amazing. I have never been here but next time when I will visit Slovakia I think about Kosice.
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:46You should definitely go there when you’re in Slovakia, it’s such a lovely city!
aleksandra
28/09/2016 at 20:24człowiek nie zdaje sobie sprawy, że takie piękne miasto leży nie tak daleko :)
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:48otóż to! czasem wcale nie trzeba daleko jechać, żeby cuda zobaczyć :)
Jo Gasieniec
28/09/2016 at 21:35Przepiękne ;) Muszę wybrać się tam latem, zdecydowanie ;)
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:48koniecznie! moje towarzystwo się poleca na kolejny wyjazd na Słowację ;)
Ing. Ninh Huu Chan
29/09/2016 at 10:35Krasne fotogragie, krasne pamiatky.
Diky moc pan fotografer.
Srdecny pozdrav z Vietnamu.
Viera
01/10/2016 at 19:59Srdečný pozdrav z Košíc. :)
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:49diky moc!
Alessandra
29/09/2016 at 16:41I share your love for Kosice :) it is beautiful town with lots of chill places and lovely nature all around…I recommend visiting Kosice in summer where you can truly enjoy spirit of the town.. Even in wintertime it has its magic as cute christmas lights and decorations are everywhere, the city centre has its own christmas market and the smell of hot spiced wine adds to already great snowy and cozy atmosphere :)
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:53Thank you for your comment! I’ve never been to Kosice in the winter time so maybe it’s time to change that. From what you’re saying about the city it sounds really amazing too! Thanks!
Viera
29/09/2016 at 21:32I, as a domestic citizen of Košice, cannot but agree with all that was written in the blog and Alessandra’s comment. It is a really charming “little city” both in summer and winter, especially durind Advent time, with all its pre-Christmas atmosphere. I’d like to thank you, Kami, for spreading your love and admiration for Košice. Your declaration of love for this city has really impressed me. It’s so heartwarming to see so much love for the place I live in and love too. Thank you and I wish you all the best during your next visit here and on your other journeys around the world. :)
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:54Thank you very much for your nice comment and good words Viera! All the best to you too!
TURIN Philippe (Filipko)
30/09/2016 at 14:44J’adore la Slovaquie a un point que vous ne pouvez imaginer. Je crois que j’y suis allé plus de cent fois et je ne m’en lasserai jamais. Banska Bystrica, Mikulas, Nizke Tatry, Slovensky Raj, Bardejov, Medzilaborce, Kosice, Krupinska Planina, Komarno, Rudohorie, Banska Stiavnica, Zvolen, Kremnica, Trnava, Orava, Zilina, Bojnice, Vinobranie à Pezinok et Modra… et plus j’y pense et plus je retrouve dans ma mémoire des endroits où j’ai été heureux. Allez voir la Slovaquie, ne vous contentez pas de rester à Bratislava et allez rencontrer les Slovaques, ce sont les gens les plus gentils et les plus agréables du monde… moi, je peux vous le dire car je connais le monde entier… Ah! J’allais oublier Bzovik et Zemiansky Vrbovok: je parie que même vous, les Slovaques vous ne connaissez pas.
kami
04/10/2016 at 21:56merci pour votre commentaire!
Kieu Trang Minh
30/09/2016 at 17:49To je mesto kde som byval i študoval skoro 30 rokov predtým. To je ako môj druhý domov. Je to naozaj pekné, obdivuhodné mesto. Ďakujem pekne a by som sa tam vrátil niekedy na návštevu. Do videnia, mesto moje krásne obľúbené košice !
Viera
01/10/2016 at 19:57Aké prekvapenie vidieť slovenčinu písanú človekom z ďaleka, ktorý kedysi pred 30 rokmi tu v Košiciach mal druhý domov. Je obdivuhodné, že si ešte pamätáte náš jazyk. Svet je taký malý, zdá sa. Mýlim sa, keď si myslím, že ste z Vietnamu? Posielam vám srdečný pozdrav z Košíc.
Agnieszka
04/10/2016 at 19:40I’ve been to Slovakia couple of times but i’ve never been to Kosice. For sure one day i’ll go there, because i like places like this one. What’s more, Slovakia sounds like a heaven for me, with its mountains everywhere. And when you are tired of hiking, you can just relax in beautiful small towns.
kami
04/10/2016 at 22:08Exactly! It’s a small paradise with mountains and cute towns, you’d enjoy it for sure! Next time you’re in Slovakia head to Kosice!!
Mariusz Piotrowski
12/10/2016 at 12:23Miasto faktycznie wygląda absolutnie świetnie i aż chce się tam pojechać. Tyle że…no właśnie, niby graniczymy ze Słowacją, a w związku z tym tym bardziej szkoda, że oferta transportu publicznego między Polską a Słowacją jest tak biedna :/ No nic, trzeba będzie autem ;)
kami
17/10/2016 at 19:45no to jest właśnie największy ból, że ten transport umarł :/ Pomału coś się zaczyna kręcić, są loty do Koszyc, z Krakowa jeżdżą busy, ale np pociągiem kiedyś były trzy przejścia, teraz tylko Zwardoń/Skalite jeździ… naprawdę liczę, że to się zmieni, bo ta Słowacja taka fajna!
Tommy Madaras
31/01/2019 at 10:19An eternal pity that the direct train Košice-Kraków was cancelled…
kami
01/02/2019 at 11:06couldn’t agree more…
Helen Hvasta
16/12/2016 at 02:02Kami…your commentary on Kosice is so inviting. First time I visited was in 1981 during the Cold War. Your photos certainly is a HUGE improvement over what I remember it was….grey and dreary. I have relatives there and visited several times since, last for short visit only 10 days in 2014. My wish is to return once more and last time as I have the last surviving aunt up in years. At my age, 86, it will be a difficult trip, but I’ll try. One suggestion, many of the buildings I forget just what they are, but it might be helpful to tag the location and buildings, like St. Elizabeth Cathedral, the Opera House, (don’t forget the American Embassy), Devin Castle, the Clock building and those quaint streets. I do agree, Kosice is a beautiful city now that so much renovation has been done…and so clean. Thank you for sharing, Kami.
Just came across this site, looking for something else….
kami
25/12/2016 at 21:54Thank you for your nice comment Helen. I wish I could have seen Kosice all these years ago, to be able to compare. I really hope you will be able to visit Kosice again, it’s such a wonderful city! All the best!
Juraj
31/07/2017 at 17:01Cześć Kami, it was so pleasant to read this article! Especially for the fact I’ve grown up in Košice but left it 2 years ago to move to Poland. Although I fell in love with the life in your country I still keep the wish for my return :)
In case you haven’t noticed yet – there is a new route (Warszawa > Krakow > Košice > Budapest) due to open in August 2017 so I think people reading this article might find it interesting.
Wishing you nice upcoming trips!
kami
21/08/2017 at 20:06Thank you! Yes, I read about the route! I’m so glad there are more and more connections between Poland and Slovakia as for years it’s been pretty challenging to travel between those two neighbouring countries! I’m glad you enjoy your life in Poland! :)
Lejka
07/08/2017 at 17:53Hi Kami,
I only would like to say: Thank you very much for this article.
I am happy to see somebody so excited about Košice. The pictures are beautiful and I cannot wait to visit my beloved Košice city again.
kami
21/08/2017 at 20:07Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m really hoping to return to Kosice soon as it’s such a great city!
Zuzana Gray
07/11/2019 at 05:43I was born in Kosice, our family left in 1968 and I have never been back. Your article was beautiful! Made me very home sick , I was just 6 when we left ,but have some vivid memories still of my home country. Thank you
kami
07/11/2019 at 15:58I’m happy you enjoyed the article. Kosice is such a beautiful city, I hope you will have a chance to return one day!