Destinations · Slovakia
Košice — the Pearl of Eastern Slovakia
Slovakia’s second-largest city and the gateway to the east. Its beautiful historic centre is anchored by St. Elisabeth Cathedral, one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe, and surrounded by palaces, the illuminated Singing Fountain, the State Theatre and one of the country’s highest concentrations of historic monuments.
Košice is also home to the International Peace Marathon, the oldest marathon in Europe and one of the world’s oldest. The city pairs naturally with the Spiš UNESCO region, including Spiš Castle and Levoča, while the Tokaj wine region lies just an hour to the south — making Košice an ideal base for a two- or three-day Eastern Slovakia programme.
Highlights
What Košice gives a programme
St. Elisabeth Cathedral & historic city centre
One of the most beautiful historic city centres in Slovakia, centred around St. Elisabeth Cathedral, the country's largest church and a magnificent Gothic jewel dating back to the 14th century. Košice is also the birthplace of the famous Hungarian writer Sándor Márai.
Bardejov & wooden churches day trip
Košice is an ideal base for a day trip to the medieval town of Bardejov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Slovakia's UNESCO-listed wooden churches. Highlights include the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Hervartov and the Greek Catholic Church of St. Luke in Tročany.
Slovak Tokaj
Volcanic-soil cellars of the Slovak Tokaj appellation, an hour from the city.
Getting there
Nearest airports
Košice (KSC)
Slovakia's second airport, 6 km south of the centre — one terminal with year-round hub links to Vienna, Warsaw, Prague and Zurich.
15 minutes
Budapest (BUD)
Hungary's main airport — second only to Vienna among the gateways we work from; our routing when a group's flights don't reach Košice.
~3 hours
Plan a Košice programme
Tell us about the group — we'll build the itinerary
Hotels, guides, transport and experiences across Košice, quoted at net rates and operated by our own team on the ground.