"Welcome to Kosice, Slovakia!" Slovakia by monica71

Everybody knows the history of Slovakia, therefore I will not write anything about that here. I really want to write about one of the towns I fell in love with while visiting Slovakia: Kosice.

Kosice is the second largest city in the country after Bratislava. The first mention of the city dates back to 1230, when it was referred to as "Villa Cassa". On May 7, 1369 the town received a coat of arms from king Ludwig of Anjou. This was the first coat of arms of a city in Europe which was certified by a coat of arms charter. May 7 is a very important day to Kosice and it is celebrated every year as City of Kosice Day.

Kosice is such a nice and vibrant town that totally caught me by surprise. The downtown area is small and easily walkable, but it has so much to offer that it will take you a while to absorb it all.

I stayed in Kosice for 5 days. I feel that I could still spend more time here without being bored or wanting to leave the town. It is such a nice town and it is sad that not too many people are visiting here.

the nice streets of Kosice

The people in town are very friendly, in general. I do not speak the language and got along fine in English. Lots of people speak English and are willing to help you discover their little town if you ask for directions.

You may also run into some less friendly people (I had 2 encounters like that), but don't let that bother you. Enjoy your stay in town and explore it as much as you can. All towns have some people that are more friendlier than others, so expect to find the same in your travels.

• Pros:beautiful town with lots of history compacted on a small area
• Cons:unreliable museums schedules and no English signs in front of places of interest