Košice between caves, museums and Tokaj

Košice: A city of culture with extraordinary natural experiences

Košice, Slovakia’s second-largest city, is the metropolis of the Košice Region and a regional center for trade, crafts, culture and education. At the same time, the city forms part of a broader travel landscape shaped by caves, national parks, castles, museums and wine regions. If you would like to combine culture and nature on your trip to Slovakia, you will find a wide variety of experiences here: from interactive exhibitions and historical collections to underground spaces, signposted hiking trails and a seasonally regulated kayaking route.

Museums and historic sites in Košice

The East Slovak Museum houses more than 500,000 objects, a selection of which is displayed in five thematic permanent exhibitions. Particularly striking is the Košice Gold Treasure, consisting of 2,920 gold coins, ducats and double ducats, three gold medals and a Renaissance gold chain. The presentation is experiential and interactive. Another exhibition in the Mikluš Prison leads through the underground rooms of a former torture chamber and includes a permanent display of life-size figures.

The Museum of Aviation in Košice also has a clear focus. Almost 500 unique exhibits on the history of aviation, the development of aircraft, aircraft engines and instrument technology are displayed across 7,100 m². The museum presents seven exhibitions in total. The exhibition on the history of road transport complements the subject with historic bicycles, motorcycles, passenger cars and trucks, particularly from Czechoslovak production.

The East Slovak Gallery welcomes visitors at its locations at Hlavná 27 and Alžbetina 22. Its offerings include the permanent exhibition Komédia ducha; school groups can take part in age-appropriate workshops with a guided tour. Kaštieľ Betliar provides another cultural highlight: the former apartments of the count’s family house the permanent exhibition of the Andrássy Museum. After 1945, the estate retained its original furnishings and collections and has effectively served as a museum since it was nationalized. It was built between 1881 and 1886 as a residence, used primarily as a hunting lodge and as a museum for its owner’s collection.

Caves, gorges and national parks

More than 1,300 caves and abysses are known in Slovak Karst National Park. Approximately 270 kilometers of hiking trails and around 50 kilometers of cycling routes are signposted. The Zádielska tiesňava educational trail is the oldest educational trail in Slovak Karst National Park and includes seven information boards or stations. Several caves and abysses in the national park are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The individual caves differ considerably. The visitor route through Gombasecká Cave is approximately 530 meters long and takes around 30 minutes; particularly thin, hollow sinter tubes have been preserved there. Ochtinská Aragonite Cave features unique eccentric aragonite formations and a Milky Way Hall, where white aragonite resembles stars. A visit takes 30 minutes. The parking area is 300 meters from the cave, from where a gently ascending path leads to the entrance area. The cave is 300 meters long and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Jasovská Cave is also a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. Its stalactite formations include pagoda-like stalagmites and stone waterfalls. The accessible section is 720 meters long; the guided tour takes 45 minutes and includes 314 steps. The entrance is approximately 100 meters from the parking area and can be reached without any change in elevation. A brotherhood inscription from 1452 can be found in the Hussite Hall. Up to 19 species of bats overwinter in the cave.

Slovak Paradise National Park complements this cave experience with plateaus, deep canyons, gorges, waterfalls, above-ground karst formations and underground spaces. The Natura 2000 site extends into the Košice Region. Navigation through the Hornád Canyon is permitted from 1 May to 31 October; the regulated kayaking route runs from Hrabušické Mýto to Čingov. Dobšinská Ice Cave lies on the southwestern edge of Slovak Paradise National Park and has been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 2000. Its visitor route is 515 meters long, overcomes an elevation difference of 43 meters and takes approximately 30 minutes.

Tokaj wine and regional contrasts

Lower Zemplín in the eastern part of the Košice Region is particularly characterized by its excellent Tokaj wine. The Tokaj Wine Route connects Tokaj municipalities, winegrowers, wine producers, cultural and historical monuments, wine shops, wine taverns and craftspeople. The Slovak part of the Tokaj wine-growing region covers 907 hectares and is the smallest wine-growing region in Slovakia. The area around the Zemplínska Šírava reservoir is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Lower Zemplín.

For further regional orientation, the following are also listed: Gelnica District, Michalovce District, Sobrance District, Košice, Vyšná Rybnica, Košice-okolie District, Rožňava, Spišská Nová Ves District and Trebišov District are also listed.