Košice facts for kids

Košice
Košice
	City
	View of Hlavná ulica (Main Street) from St. Elisabeth Cathedral, with the State Theatre Košice building in the center
; Flag	; Coat of arms
	Nickname(s): City of tolerance
Country	Slovakia
First mentioned	1230
Website	https://www.kosice.sk

Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 240,000 Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia after the capital Bratislava. Košice was founded in 1230.

Being the economic and cultural centre of eastern Slovakia, Košice is the seat of the Košice Region and Košice Self-governing Region, the Slovak Constitutional Court, three universities, various dioceses, and many museums, galleries, and theatres.

In 2013 Košice was the European Capital of Culture, together with Marseille, France. Košice is an important industrial centre of Slovakia. Košice is the economic hub of eastern Slovakia. It accounts for about 9% of the Slovak gross domestic product. The steel mill, U.S. Steel Košice with 13,500 employees, is the largest employer in the city and the largest private employer in the country.

The town has extensive railway connections and an international airport.

The city has a well-preserved historical centre, which is the largest among Slovak towns. There are many heritage protected buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Art Nouveau styles with Slovakia's largest church: the St. Elisabeth Cathedral.

The long main street, rimmed with aristocratic palaces, Catholic churches, and townsfolk's houses, is a thriving pedestrian zone with many boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. The city is well known as the first settlement in Europe to be granted its own coat-of-arms.

Images for kids

Main Street
Cassovia 1617
National Theater built in 1899
The Jewish Synagogue
Mlynská Street – pedestrian zone
Statue of Košice's coat of arms, the first municipal coat of arms in Europe
Cathedral's illumination during the opening ceremonial of the European Capital of Culture in January 2013
Kulturpark – the new cultural space of Košice
Mikluš's Prison
Divizia – seat of the Košice Self-Governing Region
Replica of Rákóczi's home in Tekirdağ (Rodosto) where he lived while in exile
Communist-era apartment blocks
Košice Peace Marathon
The Tree of Partnership on Hlavná Street
Kasárne Kulturpark
Kunsthalle
SPOT Važecká
State Theatre
Gothic St. Elisabeth Cathedral
Originally Gothic, Renaissance rebuilt Urban's Tower
Late Renaissance, early Baroque Jesuits Church
Baroque Archbishop's Palace
Classicist style Csáky-Dessewfy Palace
Empire style Pongrác-Forgács Palace
Gothic Levoča House
Jakab's Palace
Neo-Renaissance, Andrássy Palace
Art Nouveau style coffeehouse Slávia
Orthodox synagogue in Košice
Functionalism style 8-storey Building
Cassovar business centre
Cassovar business centre
Košice Railway Station