Košice

Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia near the border with Hungary, situated at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains on the river Hornád. Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after Bratislava with more than 242 000 inhabitants mostly Slovaks, Hungarians, Roma, Czechs, Rusyns, Ukrainians, Germans.The city is the economic and cultural center of eastern Slovakia with Slovak Constitutional Court, three universities and many museums, galleries and theaters. Košice has the biggest employer in the region US Steel Košice steel mill, good railway connections and an international airport. Košice has a well preserved historical center with many heritage protected buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Secession styles and the city is the first settlement in Europe to be granted its own coat-of-arms. The city grew quickly because of its strategic location on an international trade route from central Hungary to Poland. Košice lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters. Most significant landmark in Košice is Slovakia's largest church built in the 14th century Gothic St. Elisabeth Cathedral and is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Košice. In addition to St. Elisabeth, there are the 14th century St. Michael Chapel, the St. Urban Tower, and the Neo-baroque State Theater in the center of town. The Church of the Virgin Mary's Birth is the cathedral for the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Košice. Also popular among tourists are the old Town Hall, the Old University, the Captain's Palace, Liberation Square and the city zoo which is located northwest of the city. There are several theaters in Košice such as the Košice State Theater which consists three ensembles: drama, opera, and ballet. There is also the Marionette Theater and the Old Town Theater. Due to the presence of Hungarian and Roma minorities there are the Hungarian "Thália" theater and the professional Roma theater "Romathan". The East Slovak Museum is the oldest museum in Kopšice established in 1872 year under the name of the Upper Hungarian Museum. The Slovak Technical Museum is the museum with planetarium. The East Slovak Gallery is the first regional gallery with the aim to document artistic life in todays eastern Slovakia. The first and the oldest international festival of local TV broadcasters is the Golden Beggar founded in 1995. and its organized every year in June. The oldest annual marathon in Europe and second oldest in the entire world, after the world famous Boston Marathon, is the Košice Peace Marathon, founded in 1924. It is run in the city every year on the first Sunday of October. With many sites and happenings Košice is the one of the favorite places to visit.