We had lower expectations about visiting Kosice than some of the bigger cities we were visiting on this trip, but we were pleasantly surprised. The historic center is charming, and its very long, narrow public "square" was unique. Museums and public buildings are beyond one end, while a modern shopping mall is at the other. It had beautiful buildings along the way, including the Kosice State Theatre and St. Elizabeth's Cathedral. There was a Christmas market during our stay that looked so lovely on the snow covered streets, and all of the participants seemed as though they knew each other. It did not seems touristy and full of international chains. It is a special place.

We were blown away by Kosice having had no expectations really. We came for a family wedding and stayed for nearly a week. It is a truly magical place. Very few tourists, no litter and lovely people. The cathedral is awesome as are many of the gothic buildings. It felt very safe and is great to wander around by day and night. The Singing Fountain is the best we’ve seen. Every restaurant and cafe we visited has been really good and reasonably priced. We would also recommend a visit to the Botanical Gardens (a short tram ride) which are really beautiful and well maintained. Signage there is non-existent so ask a youngster to direct you to- they all speak good English!

An unplanned extra day gave me the opportunity to ramble through this town's historic centre. It's a mini-Bratislava with a (and I'm pretty jaded in terms of churches) exquisite cathedral, a musical fountain, and an all-around pleasant atmosphere together with plenty of food, drink, and things to do. I'd definitely go back and spend more time there. It's a university town too, so many students are around, and English is commonly a second/third language.