In this article I would like to cover things to do in Kosice with TOP 5 must-see sights in the city.
You can also check out my “One Day in Kosice, Slovakia – Architectural Details” article about Kosice.
Okay, let’s go. Let’s imagine you will be walking from the Kosice railway station.
Sight 1 – Jakab’s Palace
Info: Jakabov palace (Jakab’s Palace) is a neo-gothic building that served as a house for Peter Jakab, the famous Košice architect that built the National Theatre in the city. It is mysterious and beautiful, definitely a highlight of Kosice cityscape.
Map (B):
Sight 2 – Cathedral of St. Elizabeth
Info: The masterpiece of architecture and the main attraction of Kosice. Cathedral of St. Elizabeth is Slovakia’s largest church and one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe.
“Construction started around 1380 and was divided into several stages and finished in 1508. Aside of the breath-taking exterior, the cathedral hides a precious interior as well, where namely the altar of St. Elizabeth with 48 images, the hanging sculpture of Immaculata and the late Gothic wing altar of the Visiting Virgin Mary captivate those who wander inside” (source: visitkosice.eu)
TOP 3 legends about the Cathedral:
- Construction continuing over the centuries gave birth to the legend of the hollow stone, which the builders put on an unknown place in the cathedral. If the stone was lost, the whole cathedral would fall;
- There is also a legend about the gargoyle of the drunk women – it is said that she was the master builder’s alcoholic wife. The legend says that because she was tarnishing his reputation by her appearance in the town, he made her a gargoyle forever;
- The last legend is about Christ’s blood. During a the common Sunday mass the priest spilt the consecrated goblet full of wine on the floor where the image of suffering Christ was created, and some believers heard the Christ moan, they said;
Map (C):
Sight 3 – State Theatre
Info: It stands as the highlight of Hlavna (Main) Street. It was built back in 1788 but then later reconstructed according to projects of Adolf Lang during the years 1879–1899. The Kosice State Theatre is a home to drama, ballet and opera, with operettas also included in the repertoire of the opera company.
To check the schedule and buy the tickets go HERE
Map (D):
Sight 4 – Immaculata
Info: Immaculata is a column that commemorates the gratitude to Mother Mary for an end to the plague epidemic from 1709 and 1710. Such structures can be found in the majority of Central European cities that suffered plague. It is considered as the most beautiful Baroque site in Kosice.
Map (E):
Sight 5 – Palaces on Hlavna (Main) Street
Info: Kosice Hlavna (Main) street is the highlight of the city. Also it is a home to beautiful palaces. Baroque-Classicist Rákóczi Palace (F) which contains exhibits of the Slovak Technical Museum and the Classicist Csáky-Dessewffy Palace (G) from the first half of the 19th. The Bishops Palace (H) from 1804 and the Empire Forgách Palace (I) from the 19th century complement the historic core of the town.
Map:
Thank you for reading!
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Pavlo is an experienced travel writer published by CNN, BBC, The Guardian, The Independent, The Irish Times, Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet. He’s been writing about Poland for 9+ years.