Košice

Eastern Slovakia's main city, home to St Elisabeth Cathedral, the country's largest church, and a base for day trips to Spiš Castle, Bardejov and karst gorges.

Košice is Slovakia's second-largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the east. It lies in the Hornád valley about 20 km from the Hungarian border and was a European Capital of Culture in 2013. The city's highlights line its spindle-shaped Main Street: St Elisabeth Cathedral is Slovakia's largest church, flanked by Urban's Tower and St Michael's Chapel, and the singing fountain in front of the State Theatre performs on the hour in summer. Hrnčiarska (Potters') Street, Mikluš Prison, the gold treasure at the East Slovak Museum and the underground remains of the old town gates are all within walking distance, and the old town can be covered in a day. There are plenty of day trips: UNESCO-listed Spiš Castle, about 50 km northwest, can be combined with Spišská Kapitula; the medieval town of Bardejov is about 75 km north; the Slovak Karst to the southwest has Jasovská Cave and the Zádiel Gorge; and Herľany to the northeast has a cold-water geyser. Slovak Paradise and Levoča are better visited from a base in the High Tatras. Apr–Oct is pleasant, Jul–Aug can be hot, and winters are cold, with a Christmas market on Main Street in December. Getting there: about 5 hours by train from Bratislava, with flights to Vienna, Prague and other cities, and about 3.5 hours by road from Budapest. Trams make getting around easy. Allow 2–3 days.

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