(source: František Iván, TASR)
A special tourist train will travel between Košice and Slovenský Raj (Slovak Paradise) on five Saturdays from February 2 to March 2. This is the winter edition of the successful Ice Express of summer 2018.
The Ice Express will go from Košice's main station at 7:55 and the final stop will be Červená Skala (Red Rock), with arrival at 10:28. The train will return at 15:43 from Červená Skala and arrival to Košice is planned for 18:46. The capacity for one ride is 144 seats.
“We saw the huge demand to this connection in summer,” said Lenka Vargová Jurková, managing director of Region Košice Tourism, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Even though the Dobšinská Ice Cave is closed in the winter, its surroundings offer many interesting places for winter hiking or skiing, she added. The train will stop near the ski resorts of Mlynky Gugel and Biele Vody, Ski Mraznica and Ski Telgárt.
Many attractions
The locality also offers good possibilities for cross-country skiing, including the newly open compound near Dobšinská Ice Cave.
On the train travellers will receive tips for interesting activities at the target destinations. For example, in Mraznica, where shuttle bus from Nálepkovo goes, travellers may use the new ice-skate rink and walk through the winter attraction of the snow anthill. Ski resorts will also provide skipass discounts for travellers. The tickets can be bought via the www.kosiceregion.com website or at the Regional Information Point in Košice.
As said the chairman of the Košice self-governing region, Rastislav Trnka, the touristic train became the best-seller of last summer, with 2,600 travellers.
“We decided to have this special train during the winter as well, when winter sports lovers are looking for emptier destinations, for example Slovak Paradise,” he said, as quoted by TASR. He added that their aim is to improve the accessibility of places attractive to tourists and connect them with local tourism products.
Inspiration for other regions
The train will run thanks to the Košice Region Tourism organization and the ZSSK national carrier ZSSK.
“We believe, that winter version of this project will also find its fans,” said Filip Hlubocký, managing director of ZSSK, as quoted by TASR. The state company is open to similar cooperation in other regions, since they care for tourism development. They believe that the Ice Express can also be an inspiration for other regions.
The Ice Express is the first of four special tourist connections that will travel from Košice in the next months. In April and May, it will be the Gemerský Express, the summer version of the Ice Express and in September the Tokaj Express to the Tokai vinicultural areas.
