Košice can be explored through striking contrasts: underground spaces and deep gorges sit alongside museums, historic sites and Tokaj wine country. Planning your trip around your own interests lets you compare marked trails, cave tours and cultural discoveries.
Caves and Trails in the Karst
Slovenský kras National Park lies in the southern and southeastern part of the Gemer region. More than 1,300 caves and chasms are known there; several are part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. About 270 kilometres of hiking trails and around 50 kilometres of cycling routes are marked in the national park. The Zádielska tiesňava nature trail is the national park’s oldest nature trail and includes seven information boards or stops. The Slovenský kras Natura 2000 site extends into the Košický kraj region.
Jasovská jaskyňa combines distinctive rock formations with a specific historical detail: the Husitská Hall contains a fraternity inscription dating from 1452. Pagoda-like stalagmites and stone waterfalls shape its stalactite formations. The developed section is 720 metres long; the guided tour takes 45 minutes and includes 314 steps. The entrance is about 100 metres from the car park and can be reached without any change in elevation. Check current visiting conditions before planning your cave tour.
Other caves offer their own perspective on the karst. Particularly thin, hollow sinter tubes have been preserved along the visitor route at Gombasecká jaskyňa; the route is about 530 metres long and takes around 30 minutes. In Ochtinská aragonitová jaskyňa, eccentric aragonite formations adorn the ceiling. In its Hall of the Milky Way, white aragonite resembles a starry sky. The cave is 300 metres long, and the visit takes 30 minutes. These figures describe different measurements: one is the visitor route, the other the cave’s length.
Gorges and Nature Experiences
Slovenský raj National Park includes plateaus, deep canyons, gorges, waterfalls, surface karst features and underground spaces. The park is considered a natural gem of the Spiš region. Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa lies on the southwestern edge of the national park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Its visitor route is 515 metres long and covers an elevation difference of 43 metres; the visit takes about 30 minutes. If you plan to take this route, check current visitor conditions in advance.
Boating in the Hornád Canyon is permitted from 1 May to 31 October. The regulated kayaking route runs from Hrabušické Mýto to Čingov. The season and fixed endpoints provide a clear framework for planning; check the current conditions before setting out.
Museums and Discoveries in Košice
Košice is the metropolis of the Košice region and a regional centre for trade, crafts, culture and education. At the Východoslovenské múzeum, the Košický zlatý poklad is the centrepiece of an engaging, interactive exhibition: it consists of 2,920 gold coins, ducats and double ducats, three gold medals and a Renaissance gold chain. The Príroda Karpát exhibition features 2,040 natural history exhibits. The museum has more than 500,000 objects in total, with a selection displayed in five thematic permanent exhibitions. At Mikluš Prison, the exhibition experience includes underground rooms from a former torture chamber and a permanent wax figure display.
The Východoslovenská galéria welcomes visitors at its locations at Hlavná 27 and Alžbetina 22. Its offerings include the permanent exhibition Komédia ducha. Age-appropriate workshops with a guided tour are available for school groups of eight or more. The UPJŠ Botanical Garden offers a different way to explore nature: its greenhouses cover 3,500 square metres and display tropical and subtropical plants. Its most species-rich collections include cacti, other succulents, orchids and bromeliads. The tallest greenhouse is twelve metres high and showcases plants from Southeast Asia, including banana plants, ferns, orchids and the giant bamboo Dendrocalamus giganteus.
Castle History, Park and Tokaj Wine
Kaštieľ Betliar was built between 1881 and 1886 as a residence used primarily as a hunting lodge and museum for its owner’s collection. The permanent exhibition of the Múzeum Andrássyovcov is housed in the former apartments of the count’s family. Kaštieľ Betliar is the only castle estate in Slovakia to have retained its original furnishings and collections after 1945; since its nationalisation, it has effectively served as a museum.
The park was laid out towards the end of the 18th century and covers more than 80 hectares. Its notable features include a Masonic pavilion, a Chinese pavilion, a Japanese bridge and the Hermes Fountain. At the end of the main walking path, an animal enclosure by the pond takes the form of a medieval castle with turrets. Another part of the museum’s history can be found at the Andrássy Mausoleum in Krásnohorské Podhradie: this architecturally distinctive burial chapel was built between 1903 and 1904 and is one of the Betliar Museum’s branch sites.
In the eastern part of the Košice region, the lower Zemplín is particularly associated with its award-winning Tokaj wine. The Slovak part of the Tokaj wine-growing area covers 907 hectares and is the smallest wine-growing area in Slovakia. The Tokajská vínna cesta connects Tokaj communities, winegrowers, wine producers, cultural and historical monuments, wine shops, wine bars and craftspeople. As another regional contrast, the area around the Zemplínska Šírava reservoir is among the most visited tourist areas of the lower Zemplín.
Discover more destinations: Košice, Vyšná Rybnica, Košice-okolie District, Rožňava, Spišská Nová Ves District, Trebišov District, Gelnica District, Michalovce District, Sobrance District.
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