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Košice, the metropolis of Slovakia

Dominika Šimončičová

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Not only Košice, but also its surroundings is an attraction for many people. Especially on warmer days, spring and summer. We have selected for you a few interesting places, attractions, monuments, where you can choose for yourself, with friends and family, which is definitely worth seeing.

The first tip for the trip is Košice City Park , the Bridge of Lovers , Jacob's Palace , the Singing Fountain, the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, Chapel of St. Michala, Urbanov zvon and Urbanova veža, Dolná brána, Plague Column . You can find all these attractions and monuments on Hlavná street in Košice. You can get to Košice by plane, bus, train or car. It is best to go by train and car, because during the long journey you will see other beauties of Slovakia. If you go by train, as you get off at the train station, a few meters from the station is Košice park and the bridge of love. If you go by car, you can park in the parking lot at the train station near the park. The park is nicely landscaped and renovated. New attractions, a gym, a cable car, a playground for children, new benches, sidewalks, a historic lake and new fountains have been added.

Source: GoSlovakia (5.12.2019)

From the park we move to the bridge of lovers. A bridge is a place where you can lock your locks with your names or initials. It is said that this is how you lock your love, because if you lock your love, it should be forever. You simply lock the lock and throw away the key so that no one will ever find it and the love between you will remain forever. The locks on the bridge vary from simple to artistic. If you do not have a lock with you, then you do not have to worry that you will not lock your love on the bridge. However, there is a 24-hour shop nearby, where the locks are sold and have a wide selection, they even have an engraving machine and they will engrave your names or initials while you wait. Right behind the bridge, on the right side you will see Jakab's Palace , which is located by the Košice park.

Source: GoSlovakia (5.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (5.12.2019)

Jakab's Palace is a neo-Gothic building and at the end of the 19th century it was built by the important Košice architect Arpád Jakab. For a time, the palace also housed the President of the Czechoslovak Republic, Edvard Beneš. Beautiful gothic palace located in the city park. Interestingly, parts of the construction of Elizabeth Street Cathedral, which were destroyed during its reconstruction, are used.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

From Jakab Palace, we continue in the direction of Hlavná ulica. It is home to most of Košice's most important historical monuments. Almost the entire Main Street is a pedestrian zone. There are three parks, each with a fountain. The largest is the so-called singing fountain.

The Singing Fountain is a tourist attraction and is the oldest singing fountain in the former Czechoslovakia. It was built in 1986 and renovated in 1996-1997. The fountain responds and synchronizes your own music. In the evening, it shines with five colors and looks very romantic. During the summer days, he not only reacts to his own music, but every hour he sounds like a carillon. When we saw this fountain with our own eyes, we understood its uniqueness and majesty. The fountain sings and seems to dance to music. At the fountain you can sit on a bench in a pleasant environment, which is completed by a surrounding park full of flowers. It is located next to St. Elizabeth's Cathedral.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

Every year thousands of tourists come to Košice to admire the Cathedral of St. Alžbety , which is the largest church in Slovakia. The church dominates the Main Street in Košice. A magnificent building, a church that has undergone a huge renovation and provides a feast for the eyes and pleasure for the soul. Dome of St. Elizabeth is illuminated in the evening, so she does not lose her beauty even in the evening. It offers views from one of its towers, which can be reached by a narrow sidewalk. The very ascent to the mountains is an experience in itself. The church is one of the most important monuments and is the largest church and work of Gothic architecture. Visitors will be enchanted not only by the exterior, but also by the interior, which is rich in decoration. The cathedral is majestic from the outside and arouses respect from the inside. In summer it is pleasantly cool. It is definitely a place that should not be missed when visiting the city. Behind the Dome of St. Elizabeth, you can also see the Chapel of St. Michal and next to it stands Urban's tower and Urban's bell.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

Chapel of St. Michal , as it is located directly at the monumental building near the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, you can't get around it and we recommend you take a look. This chapel is a beautiful cultural monument both from the outside and from the inside, and it is also popularly called the Black Church. This Gothic church is dedicated to Archangel Michal, stands on the site of a former cemetery and is the second oldest building in Košice. It is pleasant in the chapel, there is peace and joy. It pays to go.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

A strange but nice turret right next to the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth. Around the perimeter of the tower are historical signs and inscriptions together with figures. In the past there was a museum in this tower, today there is an exhibition of wax figures. In front of the tower is an old Urban bell, which fell from the tower during a big fire in 1966 and broke. Today it is partially glued to the pedestal in front of the tower. We also recommend visiting the museum in the tower and it is interesting that every piece of the tower breathes culture. When you continue in the direction from the church of St. Michael, you get to the lower gate.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

The lower gate is a really excellent opportunity to see such a fortification right in the center. The underground hides the remains of the city walls, walls and entrance gates. Walk through different chambers and get a feeling of what things looked like several hundred years ago.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

Be sure not to miss the Immaculata sculpture , this beautiful statue is located directly in the old town on the promenade of Košice, where there are other sights in addition to it. If you decide to take a walk along Main Street, you will definitely catch up with him. It is located next to the state theater and stands on the site of the execution site, it is a memory of the plague epidemic 1709-1710, which once hit Košice. So it's such a sad place. The plague column is beautifully decorated and it is interesting that under the column is buried St. Valentine's saint all in love. The top of the sculptural group IMMACULATA - (immaculate), representing the Virgin Mary, laid on October 3, 1923 to a height of 14 meters. The Virgin Mary is to symbolize loyalty, love, goodness and protect me from poverty and suffering. She has a wreath with twelve stars over her head. In addition to it, there is also a sculpture of St. Joseph, St. Sebastian and St. Ladislav.

Source: GoSlovakia (8.12.2019)

When we saw the beauty of the Main Street in Košice, we remained hungry and thirsty. However, there will be no shortage of food, because the Main Street is surrounded by various restaurants and there are many of them, so you can choose where to go for lunch. Each restaurant has a daily set menu before entering, so you can choose what you like. There are souvenir shops in the square at every turn. At the Dome of St. Alžbety is also a slot machine for commemorative coins . You throw € 1 and € 0.05 into the machine, turn the handle, but before that you choose what pattern you would like to have on the commemorative coin. A commemorative coin with the pattern you have chosen will fall out of the slot machine. It's a nice souvenir.

Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)

The second tip for a trip here is something for our little ones, because Košice cannot be crossed in one day. Košice-Kavečany Zoo . If you do not have a car, there is a secure connection number 29 from the railway station, which runs every pole there and back every hour. There is a large parking lot in front of the zoo, so parking is no problem. Buy a ticket to the zoo together with a ticket to the Dino Park, because it is more convenient. Košice Zoo is a very pleasant place to relax alongside animals and programs to feed seals, penguins and monkeys. This feeding is commented on several times a day. Granules can also be bought in vending machines at the zoo, with which you can feed selected animals, such as goats, donkeys and ducks. There is also a Dino park with a 3D cinema, which is included in the price. Right behind the entrance gate of the Dino park, a herd of stegosaurs are waiting for you, who have just set out for food, and at the end of the park, on the contrary, a Tiranosaurus Rex is waiting for its food. In Dino Park there is a hill of interesting models of dinosaurs that move in a place with sound effects. The children will get their money's worth when they can buy a Dino egg from which a dinosaur will hatch. They can also use dinotetization, where they tattoo a dinosaur or other animals with a stencil and color on their skin. There is also a souvenir shop in the Dino park, where children can also buy Dino T-shirts from the invention of the world. There are many opportunities for walking, photography and it's a great day. There is also a bobsleigh track by the zoo, which you should definitely try, it is an experience you will not forget.

Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)

Each end is also the beginning of something new, such as another ride. Fun, adrenaline, nature, you can experience it all on a bobsled track at the zoo in Košice - Kavečany. In the stainless steel bobsleigh track, you start on carts that have a brake at the front. The wheelchairs are designed for driving one or two people. You decide the speed and pace of the ride yourself. An 800-meter track, 9 extreme curves, 3 terrain breaks, 3 tunnels and fresh air await you. Try the bobsleigh track on your own skin. You won't forget such a ride so quickly. You and your children will love bobsleigh, they will not only enjoy the ride, but they will also enjoy the amazing playground. And all this in the fresh and healthy air in beautiful nature. Come have fun with them and experience a nice weekend.

Source: Bobová dráha (9.12.2019)
Source: Bobová dráha (9.12.2019)

Another, third tip for the trip, we will warm the hearts of those of you who like tourism, for example the Hradová Lookout Tower . The lookout tower is located at the top of Hradová hill. You can get there everywhere in the summer. If you go by bus, number 29 from the train station. After arriving at the Hradová lookout tower, you will park on the right side in the parking lot. There is also a small buffet right next to the car park. Next, but you have to walk, but since we like hiking, it will certainly not hinder us, but on the contrary we will enjoy the trip. At the end of the road there are many attractions and the remains of the old castle. Various events are held there, there is also the Castle Tea Room by the tower, where you can sit with a cup of tea, among historical objects (clothes, shoes). It is interesting that you pay for the teapot itself at your own discretion, ie from 0 € to .... However, it has not happened that someone just left. The Hradová lookout tower is 21.5 meters high. If you go up the stairs to the top of the tower, you will get a beautiful view of the surrounding area. With good visibility, you can see all the way to Prešov, Kajšovská hoľa, the neighboring border with Hungary. Be sure to take with you if you have binoculars. Admission here is a minimum, adults € 1 and children € 0.50. It used to be open all summer long. You can also buy souvenirs in the tower, such as a postcard, magnet, badge. On the way back you can take the nature trail or sit by the legal fireplace. We highly recommend going to the Hradová lookout tower, you will definitely not regret it, it is a trip for the whole day, which will carefully fill your time, and not only so passively.

Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)
Source: GoSlovakia (9.12.2019)

We firmly hope and believe that you will go to Košice and you will want to survive and see the beauty of Košice. We recommend that you go at least for an extended weekend to see these interesting places, monuments, attractions. You will definitely not regret it and you will also experience beautiful moments in Košice and its surroundings.

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Reported by: Dominika Šimončičová
Updated on: 8.6.2020
Source: GoSlovakia


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