Fake train attack in Košice - Čermeľ. (source: TASR)
THE TRADITIONAL City Day celebrations held in Košice actually lasted a full week this year. The most important event commemorated the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Rozhanovce on June 15, 1312, in which the troops of King Charles I of Hungary defeated the supporters of Palatine Amade Aba, a Hungarian oligarch who then ruled the city of Kassa, now called Košice.
“Each year this event has a specific orientation and after last year’s focus on the Ice Hockey World Championship, it was this historical anniversary this year,” said the mayor of Košice, Richard Raši, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Andrea Horváthová from the City Council also told the media that the city is looking forward to next year when Košice will be one of two European Capitals of Culture.
Košice City Day ran from April 30 to May 8 and included the traditional craft market, laying the foundation stone for an Olympic monument, city tours, free admission to local museums, Retro 2012 – the 10th year in which vintage autos were on show – and much more.
Košice also celebrated Europe Day with presentations by schools and cultural associations. Europe Day is an annual celebration of peace and unity in Europe but surprisingly there are two separate designations: the Council of Europe celebrates the day on May 5 but the European Union celebrates it on May 9.
A very interesting part of the week’s activities was the renewal of a tradition called Košice Venice in which people row around a small lake on home-made watercraft. The opening of the Children’s Railway in the Čermeľ station on the outskirts of Košice started the week off on a high note and the Katka steam engine, celebrating 128 years, took families for a short ride. The train ride was so attractive – including a fake attack by bandits – that not everyone who wanted to ride could be accommodated.
“I would like to thank all those who contributed and supported our association in the effort to revive the operation of this small railway. Katka is in good condition now and it will serve adults as well as children. I believe that we will make the Children’s Railway a popular place and it will bring fame to the whole region, not only the city,” Ľubomír Lehotský of the Košice Children’s Railway said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Mayor Raši gave awards to residents for their contributions to the city during the event. There was also a competition between rock and pop bands called Rokoko and a cooking contest to find the best goulash in Košice.
