A sightseeing tour of Kosice, Slovakia

Arabiaweather.com - Ismail Qassemi - Thanks to its well-preserved historical core, cultural events and festivals, the second largest city in Slovakia, Kosice, is considered one of the inspiring cultural cities in Europe, especially since it hosted the activities of the European Capital of Culture for the year 2013.

Early morning is the best time to head towards the colorful and bustling Dominikánske námestie market, where you will find stalls of fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, honey and other products. The market is there between spring and autumn, as well as on festive occasions outside this period, and Saturday morning is often the busiest time.

It is necessary to visit the Botanical Gardens on Manisova Street, which is the largest in Slovakia, and it has a mixture of spring colors and wide groups of cacti, orchards and tropical plants, after which it is possible to return to the city center.

One thing no visitor should miss is a walk along Kosice's main street, Hlavná, which runs through the heart of the Old Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) lined with beautiful architecture.

In the middle of the street there is an almond-shaped square and the magnificent St. Elisabeth Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Slovakia. At the end you can visit the Lower Gate (Dolna Prana), which is an underground museum complex and exhibition center with what remains of the original medieval city gate. And also the Museum of Eastern Slovakia at the other end of Hlavná to get a better idea of the city's past.

It is also nice in the city to explore some of the side streets, such as Hrnčiarska, the narrow cobblestone lane lined with traditional local craft shops, and it is one of the best places to buy authentic local souvenirs. On this street, you can visit Mikluš Prison to learn about the executioner's chair and the dark rooms where prisoners carved their names and dates. in the walls.

Kosice has some wonderful street art, which appears especially during its street art festival in August. Among the important festivals are also the Festival of Lights (Nue Blanche) in the first week of October, and the Jazz Festival that takes place during October and November.

In the vicinity of the city, you can take a tour to Bardejov, where you will find the beautifully preserved Renaissance old town center, and also enjoy viewing old wooden churches and outstanding examples of traditional folk architecture along the Polish and Ukrainian borders.