One day in Kosice – the 12 best things to do.

Kosice (pronounced koh- shi – tseh) is Slovakia’s second largest city after the capital, Bratislava. Despite that I had never heard of it until we started planning our trip around Slovakia.

Situated in Eastern Slovakia, the old town is compact but definitely worth a look around. One day in Kosice is definitely enough to see all the main sights.

We planned a stop here in order to break up what would have been a much longer train journey and were pleased we got the opportunity to explore a place which isn’t often on the tourist radar. 

How to get to Kosice

We arrive in Kosice by train from Budapest. This should have been a relatively easy 3.5 hour journey but unfortunately the last section was a rail replacement bus when we were travelling.

We were nervous about this with three kids in tow initially but it was actually very easy to navigate. We just had to deal with kids moaning while waiting for the rail-replacement bus!

Kosice is also well connected with trains towards the Tatras mountains and Poprad in Northern Slovakia. You can also get trains all the way to Bratislava, the Slovak capital. To get to other parts of Slovakia and Europe, including Krakow in Poland, Flixbus has an extensive network. 

Kosice train station is around a 10 minute walk from the centre of the old town so easy to navigate on foot once you have arrived. 

Kosice airport has flights to many major cities around Europe if you are travelling from further afield.

How to spend 1 day in Kosice

Most of the sights are in the old town which centres around Hlavná Ulica. This is the wide central pedestrianised street, which is more like a long thing central square than a road.

Slap bang in the middle of Hlavna Ulica is the city’s cathedral and it is surrounded mostly by bars and restaurants.

Unfortunately when we visited we had a lot of rain so sitting outside in the square wasn’t really possible. I can imagine in nicer weather it would be a lovely atmospheric place to enjoy a drink or meal. 

A day is probably enough to visit all the sights you would want to in Kosice. If you have longer, day trips to other parts of Slovakia are possible such as nearby Slovak Paradise National Park (we absolutely loved this place by the way!). 

The 12 Best things to do in Kosice

1. Hlavna Ulica

Hlavna Ulica, is the main thoroughfare through the middle of the old town. It’s very wide in the central part and acts as a central square.

Despite the relentless rain for the day we were there we still enjoyed hanging out here. It’s pedestrianised so is a great place for the kids to run around.

It’s worth walking the length on one side and then back down the other to take in the historic buildings. Many of Kosice’s other landmarks are also situated here as well as a small park/ gardens in the central section.

2. Marvel at the Magic Fountains

For us, the highlight of the main square, particularly for the children was the magic fountains. Situated next to the National Theatre, you can’t miss them.

The fountains have a music and light display every half an hour and gave lots of entertainment to the kids. With a range of soundtracks from traditional Slovak music to international hits that everyone will recognise.

We spent a lot of time hanging out here, trying to stop the kids from getting soaked and so heard quite a lot of the soundtrack! The music is produced by 22 bells which represent the 22 municipal areas of Kosice.

It’s worth looking at the fountains both by day and by night when the lighting has a much more impressive effect. 

2. St Elizabeth’s Cathedral (Dóm Svätej Alzbety)

St Elizabeth’s is the largest cathedral in Slovakia. Located in the middle of Hlavna Ulica it’s also impossible to miss.

Entry to the cathedral is free, although you can pay a small fee if you would like to take photos inside. I would definitely recommend going inside to see the gothic interior which is packed with exquisite details.

It also has the oldest double helix staircase in Europe. I had no idea what this meant until we went in and followed the signs to find it! I don’t have any photos as I didn’t pay the photography fee so you’ll have to go and find it.

For us it was also a great respite from the rain!

3. National Theatre Kosice

At the north side of the square, behind the magic fountain is the impressive building of the National theatre. Designed by the architect Adolfo Lang in 1788.

This is a beautiful building inside and out, if you’re into the arts it may be worth checking out what is on while you are in town. It hosts a variety of ballets, opera and plays.

We didn’t get chance to catch a performance and mostly admired the building as the backdrop to the magic fountains.

4. Marathon Museum

As a runner I was extremely intrigued when I spotted the small white facade on the main square titled ‘Maraton Point’.

Much to the children’s annoyance we had to go in! There is a small cafe at the front of the building and to the rear is a small museum dedicated to the Kosice Peace Marathon, Europe’s oldest marathon.

If you enjoy running I would definitely recommend popping in. It is small so you aren’t l likely to be in there for much more than half an hour max.

The kids enjoyed the interactive information boards and us adults enjoyed learning about a marathon that I had never heard of until then!

5. Marathon statue

Staying with the marathon theme, this statue was made in 1959 by Arpad Racko. It is a memorial of the Kosice Peace Marathon and features names of marthon winners on the pedestal.

You’ll find the statue in front of the East Slovak Museum in the Peace Marathon Square.

6. Enjoy amazing Hot Chocolate at Fontana bar!

Did I mention it was raining when we were in Kosice? We went out for a drink in the evening and since it was cool and rainy the girls fancied hot chocolate.

Oh my goodness! I was soooo jealous of their hot chocolate when they came. It was like liquid chocolate, Martha had white chocolate and Chloe had the milk chocolate version.

Since leaving Kosice and visiting other parts of Slovakia we found similar magical hot chocolates in bars in the Tatras, Poprad in particular so maybe it’s a Slovak thing?

Fontana bar is right on Hlavna Ulica, near the magic fountains.

7. Admire Jakab Palace

If you’re walking from the train station straight towards Hlavna Ulica you can’t miss this impressive building.

Apparently some of the building materials were discarded stones from the construction of St Elisabeths cathedral.

It was used as the office of Czechoslovak president Edvard Benes following WW2. You can’t go inside but you’re likely to want to pause to take in the grand exterior.

8. Chill out (or run around) in Mestský Park

This small but perfectly formed park is nestled between the train station and Jakab palace. It features landscaped gardens and water features as well as plenty of benches to relax and watch the world go by.

There’s a playground for the kids to have a break from historic buildings and plenty of space for them to run around and let off some steam.

10. East Slovak Museum

The kids aren’t big museum fans so we didn’t visit the East Slovak Museum. However if you are interested in art and history it is inexpensive so could be worth a look.

Full details of current exhibitions and opening hours are on the Museum website.

11. Admire St Michael’s Chapel

Located next to the cathedral, this small chapel is just as impressive to look at. You can’t miss it in between the cathedral and the singing fountains.

Apparently it often hosts weddings. I was most fascinated by the beautiful roof with it’s golden diamond pattern.

12. Enjoy delicious Ice Cream at Moritz Eis

This sleek Ice Cream Parlour to the Eastern side of the national theatre has absolutely delicious ice cream!

I mean, even though it was raining and not particularly warm we enjoyed it so in better weather it would be a non-negotiable.

They do sell coffees as well for any non ice-cream eaters (are they a thing?)

Where to stay in Kosice

Despite it’s relatively small size there are plenty of good accommodation options. I would recommend staying close to the old town so that you can walk to all the main highlights. 

We loved our stay at Vintage Industrial City Apartments. Our large open plan apartment had plenty of space for all five of us and was around a ten minute walk from both the old town and the train station.

There are a few different apartments in the building, all named after major world cities.

The Double Tree by Hilton Kosice is even closer to the old town and was the other option that we were considering. 

Day trips if you have more than 1 day in Kosice

Slovak Paradise National Park (1 hour 15 min drive)

From Kosice it is around 1 hour, 15 minutes to get to Slovak Paradise National Park. This is a stunning national park of forests and gorges. Benjamin described our trip there as ‘the most fun walk ever’.

We did a day trip there when staying near Poprad but it can be done easily as a day trip from Kosice too. The easiest way to get there is to hire a car to drive there.

The main attraction of the national park are the numerous walking trails. Many of these follow rivers up gorges complete with ladders to take you up the side of waterfalls. We did the Sucha Bela trail, which is said to be one of the best in the park.

Other attractions include the Dobšinská Ice Cave, which we didn’t have time to visit, and Dedinky village and reservoir. Dedinky is a good option in hot summer weather as you can swim or hire paddle boards to enjoy the water.

Wine Tasting in the Hungarian Tokaj region

This region straddles the Slovakian and Hungarian border and we did taste some excellent Tokaj wines on our trip. It’s pretty close to Kosice so easy to arrange a wine tasting tour in the Tokaj region. This allows you to try out both Slovakian and Hungarian wines from this area.

Not a tour we attempted with the kids but definitely a good choice for any wine fans.

Take a tour of towns, castles and mountains.

A day tour from Kosice is a good way to get a taster of lots of places in the area in a short time. Spis castle is the largest in Europe, and is featured in this tour alongside the towns of Presov, Levoca and the beautiful Strbske Pleso lake in the High Tatras.

We were moving on to stay in the High Tatras so visited these places seperately.

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Whether you have just one day or longer Kosice is a pretty city not always on the tourist radar. We found it quite different to Bratislava so it was good to see both.

If you have longer to explore the region it makes a good base for trips out if you would rather stay in one place. It makes a great family city break away from the usual suspects!

My guess is that if we return to Kosice it will be to run the marathon. It was very flat which always appeals for long runs!

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