The Ultimate Košice Travel Guide: Can you pronounce it?
Travel just six hours east of Bratislava to the second largest city in Slovakia, Košice. But, before you go, you really should learn how to pronounce Košice. It’s a lot easier to buy a train or bus ticket there if you know how to pronounce it – I promise!
How to pronounce Košice: Ko shee tsa (of course)
One of the best parts of traveling to Košice is that the city is off the beaten tourist path, and you can explore the country and culture more deeply. Read on to see how to get to Košice, where to stay, what to see, and more.
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Getting to Košice from Bratislava
I always recommend starting adventures in the morning to make the most of your days. From Bratislava to Košice this means catching a bus or train pretty early. Both modes of transport will take about 6 hours and cost about $25 USD. You can either book the tickets in advance or buy them at the station.
If you are going to buy them at the station, either learn how to pronounce Košice or have a place to write it down (like your phone). I assure you that if you go in looking for a train to “co sise” you will not get very far.
Please excuse my iPhone 4s photos!
A Tale from My Journey to Košice
For me, my journey meant a crowded train, for six hours, sitting across from a man who smelled like an ashtray and looked like he hadn’t showered in a week. As the journey was six hours long, I obviously brought snacks. (I can’t go that long without food. Are you crazy??)
After a couple of hours, I started munching on some crackers when the guy across from me started watching me oddly. After I stopped eating he started talking to me in Slovak, and despite my numerous Slovak lessons over the past days, I understood exactly none of it. So I told him that, as though he might understand.
Turns out, he did get that I don’t speak Slovak, based on my English response, and he switched to gestures, of which I speak fairly fluently. He wanted a cracker. So, I gave him a couple. He said thank you. I gave him a few more, and he gestured that no no, that was plenty.
Then, a bit later, I broke out my apple and offered my extra one to him. As the train was nearing the last station, he gestured the cracker gesture again, so I gave him more and more until he said no no, I’m okay. He ate some and then stored a couple in his falling apart bag and explained that he was getting off here. It was the last stop, so I got that charade pretty well.
In any case, by this time I felt bad for judging his ratty appearance and felt a bit better about myself for helping him out. Meanwhile, I’m sure he was thinking “Thank goodness for American suckers!” I had to share as it was an interesting ride.
Where to Stay in Košice
Arriving in Košice, maybe you’ve made reservations of where to stay, or maybe finding accommodation is your first order of business. In any case, Košice is a small charming town, and you’ll be able to walk around the whole downtown area, including to and from the train station. As such, you’ll want to stay pretty centrally located to make the most of your time there.
Best Hostel in Kosice: Happy Bull
Happy Bull is where I stayed as I was on a very tight long term backpacker budget, and it was great! The location is central and the downstairs area is a bar and restaurant where I was able to meet the 1 other tourist that appeared to be in town. It does not offer much luxury, but it is clean, well located, and cheap – a backpackers dream!
Best Budget Hotel in Kosice: AH Alzbetina
Košice offers a lot of budget friendly accommodation choices, particularly with the addition of many apartments available. I highly recommend booking one of these if you are looking for a budget friendly option. AH Alzbetina is centrally located and has phenomenal feedback from previous travelers.
Best Mid-range Hotel in Kosice: Boutique Hotel Slavia
Perhaps the best part of the Boutique Hotel Slavia is the location. It is located just 750 feet from St. Elisabeth’s Cathedral. It also offers an English and Slovak speaking front desk. In fact, it offers everything you could possibly want.
Best Luxury Hotel in Kosice: Double Tree by Hilton Košice
Centrally located, the Double Tree offers air-conditioned rooms as well as a free wellness area with a sauna, hot tub, and fitness facilities. Everything you might expect in a Hilton hotel is available, from hair dryers or a mini-bar. You won’t have to go without! And, it’s still affordable due to the low cost of Košice.
Explore the Top 10 Sights of Košice
Upon arriving in Košice, the charm will instantly shine through. Despite being the second largest city, it is really very quaint but full of beautiful buildings and friendly people. It was rated the Culture Capital of 2013 after all.
1. Hlavna Ulica, the Main Street
While you’re in town you will frequently find yourself on the main street, Hlavna Ulica. This road stretches through the center of town and past many of the most notable buildings in town. It’s a lovely walk and you can experience a lot of the city’s culture, charm, and sights from this main street.
2. St. Elisabeth’s Cathedral
The most prominent building in Košice is St. Elisabeth’s Cathedral. It’s located right in the center of town on Hlavna Ulica and is gorgeous! The Gothic facade is worth stopping to admire, as is exploring the inside of the cathedral. You can head up the 60 meter church tower for views of across Košice and even down to the crypt.
On weekends you may even find outdoor church services with full readings and music as people clap in time to the beat. It adds to the small town charm!
Fun fact: St. Elisabeth’s Cathedral is the Westernmost Gothic cathedral in Europe and the largest place of worship in Slovakia.
3. St. Michael Chapel
Located next to St. Elisabeth’s Cathedal is St. Michael Chapel. It is also a Gothic style building and worth a stop. It offers up some great history as it was built where the city cemetery used to be, offers the oldest known depiction of Košice’s coat of arms – dating back to the 14th century, and in the 17th century it was the only place of worship that conducted services in the Slovak language.
4. The Singing Fountain
Located in the main square, Hlavne Namestie, the fountain dances to the sounds of music coming from speakers throughout the square. At night, its also lit up and a beautiful place to stop by.
5. Immaculata: The Plague Pillar
Also located on Hlavna Ulica, this elaborate Baroque Marian column is considered the “Plague Pillar” of Košice. Erected in the 1720s, this pillar features a number of saints including St. Sebastian and St. Joseph and is topped by the Virgin Mary. It was built as a pillar of thanks for the Virgin ending the plague epidemic that spread through Košice in 1709-1710.
6. Urban’s Tower
Unsurprisingly, this tower is also located on the main road. It was built back in the 15th century and features some historic ledger stones from the 1300 and 1400s that were once removed from St. Elisabeth’s Cathedral. Today, it holds an exhibit of wax figures from Košice’s past.
7. State Theater
The last building I’ll focus on from Hlavna Ulica, the State Theater is a Neo-Baroque opera house. and truly stunning! During the day it is open for tours, or you can take in a ballet or opera in the evenings. (Tickets are inexpensive!) While inside, make sure to look up to take in the scenes from Shakespeare’s work that adorn the auditorium.
8. East Slovak Museum and Košice’s Gold Treasure
The Gold Treasure of Košice is one of the richest collections of gold in the world, and the largest in Slovakia. It is housed in the East Slovak Museum and includes more than 2,900 coins, several medals, and a gold chain. It was discovered back in 1935 while excavating the foundations of the Finance Directorate.
9. Krnciarska, the Crafts Lane
Explore the local craft shops down this cobblestone street to get to experience more of the local life and artistry. It’s a great break from the traditional tourist sights spread throughout Košice. If you’re looking for souvenirs, this is a great place to shop as well!
10. Spiš Castle
While not technically located in Košice, Spiš Castle is a quick day trip away from the city and well worth the journey. It will take about 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get back taking connecting buses through Prešov, the 3rd largest city in Slovakia. As a bonus, you can stop in Prešov to explore that city too. Just look at this view.
Other Sights in Košice
If you have more time to explore, consider checking out:
- The Jakab Palace: A beautiful Neo-Gothic style palace that is closed to the public but worth admiring from outside
- Andrassy Palace: A Neo-Renaissance Palace located on the main road
- Miklus Prison: Take a tour of the prison cells, executioner’s quarters, and torture chamber
- Levocsky Dom: Slovakia’s oldest inn
- Beggar’s House: Legend has it this house was built by a beggar on the generosity of the rich
- New Orthodox Synagogue: A synagogue with deep history dating back to 1927 and through WWII
- Church of the Holy Trinity: A Baroque style church with ornate carvings and gilded altars
- Slovak Technical Museum: The science and technology museum
3 Other Tips for Visiting Košice
There’s a few more things you should know before traveling to Kosice, Slovakia.
1. How to Pronounce Košice
Avoid embarrassment and confusion by learning how to pronounce Košice before you go. The little caron over the s (Did you know that’s what it’s called?) changes the pronunciation a lot. It causes a “sh” type of sound, but that’s not the only challenge, the “ce” also comes with a challenge – it’s more of a “tsa” sound. If that is too challenging, it’s close to the “za” end of the word pizza.
Give it a try: Ko shee tsa
2. How Long to Stay in Košice
You can spend as little as one day doing a whirlwind tour of Košice or you can spend multiple days in the area. If you want to head out to Spiš Castle, you will need an extra day for that as well. I would recommend 2-3 days in this area. If you want to see every little thing, you could extend that to 4-5 days for a more leisurely trip.
3. The Cost of Traveling to Košice
Fortunately, Košice is extremely affordable. I would even go so far as to say inexpensive, particularly when comparing it to Western Europe. For example, here are some prices of every day items: 1€ pizza, 1€ coffee, 1€ beer, 0.50€ ice cream… You can eat all day for the same cost as a cup of coffee in Norway!
Discover More of Slovakia
Slovakia offers tons of beautiful cities, towns, and castles. More importantly perhaps, is that it is off the typical tourist path which means you will often get a very authentic experience in each city you visit.
Start planning your time in Slovakia with these resources:
- Bratislava: “I open my own hotel!”
- Day Trips from Bratislava: Devin’s Castle and the Red Stone Castle
- Visiting Bojnice Castle: A Fairy Tale Castle
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