Hockey Guide: Košice historical centre

Read more about the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia in our Hockey Fan Guide.Bobsleigh / Bobová dráha Open / otvorené: 9:00 – 19:00 (based on wheather conditions / v závislosti od počasia)Adrenaline excitement and speed at an 800-metre-long track. Adrenalínové vzrušenie na 800-metrovej trati. Public transportation / MHD: 29Zoo, Široká 31; Tel: +421 (0)55 633 4901Botanical Garden / Botanická záhrada (2 €)Open / otvorené: 9:00 – 18:00Public transportation / MHD: 12, 29, 55.Mánesova 23; Tel: +421 (0)55 234 1676www.upjs.sk/en/departments/botanical-gardenGlockenspiel - Bells / Zvonkohra Main square / Hlavná ulicaEastern Slovak folk songs every hour.Každú hodinu východoslovenské ľudové piesne.Peace Marathon / Maratón mieru The oldest marathon in Europe and the second oldest in the world is run in October each year.V októbri sa každoročne usporadúva najstarší maratón v Európe a druhý najstarší na svete.St Elizabeth’s Belltower / Veža Dómu svätej Alžbety (1.40 €)Open / otvorené: 9:00 – 11:30 and 12:30 – 16:30The northern tower of St Elizabeth’s Cathedral is open to the public with a perfect view of the city. Severná veža Dómu sv. Alžbety ponúka verejnosti vyhliadku na mesto.Mob +421 (0)918 690 546Zoo Košice (2 €)Open / otvorené: 9:00 – 19:00The zoo is accessible via number 29 bus that leaves from the main train station.Zoo je dostupná linkou 29, ktorá odchádza zo zastávky Železničná stanica.Široká 31, www.zookosice.sk, Tel: +421 (0)55 796 8011 Tourist guides or excursion outside Košice (6.50 € – 129 €)Turistický sprievodca alebo výlety mimo KošícSightseeing trips in Košice or daily excursions to explore caves, wineries, mountains, aqua parks or medieval towns in the region can be arranged through the Kosice Visitors Center.V návštevníckom centre si možno dohodnúť prehliadku Košíc alebo jednodňové výlety do jaskýň, vínnych pivníc, našich hôr, akvaparkov alebo stredovekých miest v regióne.Visitors Center / Návštevnícke centrumHlavná 59, Tel: +421 (0)55 625 8888, www.visitkosice.euCinemas / Kiná (5 €)CineMAX in the Optima shopping center andCity Cinemas in the Galéria shopping centerShopping and nightlife / Nakupovanie a nočný životPlease see page 52 / Viac sa dočítate na 52. strane

Košice, the second biggest city in Slovakia, is unmistakably a western-oriented city which also has a long and distinguished history of cosmopolitan living and art. It is well-connected to Hungary: the border is only 20 kilometres away, and Budapest can be reached by a fast highway.

Visitors to the city are naturally drawn to the Main Square (pg 49, map E6-C1). Dominating the square are some of Košice‘s finest and oldest buildings, all of them grouped at its centre: St Elizabeth‘s Cathedral (pg 49, map D5), St Michael‘s Chapel, Urban‘s Tower and the State Theatre. Also standing proud at the foot of this group is a sculpture representing Košice‘s coat of arms, which is the oldest in Europe to be used on the basis of a royal warrant, granted on May 7, 1369, by King Louis I of Hungary. St Elizabeth‘s Cathedral is the city‘s pearl. It is the most easterly Gothic cathedral in Europe and contains one of only five Gothic double-spiral staircases in the world. Right next door to St Elizabeth‘s is the 14th-century Gothic St Michael‘s Chapel. On the other side of the cathedral is a belltower which predates it. Its fire-damaged bell, cast in 1557 and named Urban (pg 49, map D5), lies on the ground next to the entrance. The tower itself now houses a waxworks museum.

The other main building occupying the centre of the Main Square is the handsome State Theatre (pg 49, map D4). Between the cathedral and the State Theatre is a ‘singing fountain‘, which plays show- and pop-tunes accompanied by squirts of music and (at night) flashing lights.

The synagogue compound on Zvonárska (pg 49, map F5) is a particularly significant relic, whose interior has been stripped but is still richly decorated with Moorish and geometric designs and includes the remains of a mikvah (ritual bath). Another former synagogue, a striking domed structure on Moyzesova (pg 49, map C7), is now the city‘s Philharmonic Hall.

The pre-1989 world was not without its charm: the Panesi pub, Zvonárska 8, attempts to capture some of it.

As the holder of the title European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2013, Košice, along with its surrounding regions, gets a chance to achieve its potential and become more visible at the European level. The project is helping to foster urban renewal, bring about construction of new cultural infrastructure and raise the city’s profile on the international stage.

ATTRACTIONS AND TOURS / ATRAKCIE A MINI ZÁJAZDY

Read more about the Ice Hockey World Championship in Slovakia in our Hockey Fan Guide.