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Photo: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This remarkable medieval monument was built in the High Gothic style. The present cathedral stands on a site formerly occupied by a parish church, which was destroyed by fire around year 1370. The patrons of the church included St. Elizabeth. The construction of St. Elizabeth's Cathedral began approximately in 1378. One of the highlights is the helical double staircase. There is also a possibility to visit the northern tower of the cathedral, which gives you a stunning view of the surrounding historical centre. The height of this tower is 59.7 m and contains 160 stairs in the staircase.
The Cathedral of St. Elizabeth, also called Saint Elizabeth Cathedral, is a Gothic cathedral in Košice, Slovakia. It is the largest church in Slovakia and one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe.
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The best thing to do on a short trip or shortly after arriving is to walk the compact and lovely historic centre.
Kostol svätého Michala
The chapel probably dates from the first half of the 14th century and had always been a part of the parish church. It was built as a cemetery chapel in the centre of a cemetery inside the city walls stretching from the Cathedral to the south on the island of the Čermeľský potok (Čermeľ brook) in the place of the present park in the Hlavná ulica (Main street). The outer decoration is Gothic, the turret is fitted in the roof structure. The patron of the dead, the Archangel Michael, vanquishing the Satan as dragon is shown on the altar. There are Archangels Rafael and Gabriel on his sides. In the interior, there is a nice stone tabernacle, the ornamental sculpture "Ecce Homo" and remains of wall paintings from Middle Ages. The oldest coat-of-arms of Košice is above the door leading to the vestry.
Urbanova veža
A Gothic prismatic campanile with a pyramidal roof that dates back to the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. The bell, which was installed in the tower (its weight equals to 7 tones), was dedicated to St. Urban, the patron of wine-prowers, which was cast in a mould by the bell founder Frantisek Illenfeld of Olomouc in 1557. 36 tombstones dating from the 14th century (one of these tombstones is Roman dating from the 4th century) to the 17th century were put into the outer walls of the Tower. In 1966 the tower was damaged by fire, which destroyed the roofing and the bells. In 1967-1971 the tower was restored and renovated.
Biskupský Palác
The archbishop of Eger was exiled in Košice for a long time in the 17th century, but in 1804 the city got its own bishop and four houses next to the cathedral was transformed into a bishop's residence. It burned down in 1841 and was rebuilt in its current form, later the library and left wing was added. The house was empty for much of the Communist Era, but returned to its former use afterwards. In 1995 the pope promoted the office of the bishop of Košice to the status of archbishop, so the building is the residence of an archbishop.
Vychodoslovenska galeria
Regional art gallery. Includes rotating temporary art exhibitions.
Spievajúca fontána
You may find it difficult not to find the 'singing fountain' in front of the theater enjoyable on warm afternoons or evenings. Calm music tunes and accompanying water salvos provide lovely vibes for couples enjoying their ice cream and serve as a hilarious entertainment for the kids. The music "feature" of the fountain is mostly active hourly on public holidays and/or in the evenings. It was inaugurated on May 1, 1986, it is the oldest fountain of this type of former Czechoslovakia.