Košice Old Town Self-Guided Tour: 10 Stops on Your Phone

Ten stops, one route, you in control of the timing

This self-guided walking tour of Košice's old town runs entirely on your smartphone, with audio stories and written text at ten stops along Hlavná. Start whenever you like, pause as long as you want, and move through the city's layered history (from Slovakia's largest cathedral and its freestanding bell tower to a musical fountain, a neo-Baroque theatre, craft workshops and a medieval gun tower) at your own pace. The route takes about an hour of easy walking, with audio and text available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German and Chinese.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Košice Old Town landmarks

• Visit Gothic chapel beside cathedral
• See Slovakia's largest Gothic cathedral
• Pass cathedral's freestanding bell tower
• Pause at Slovakia's first musical fountain
• View neo-Baroque theatre facade
• Observe Baroque plague column on Hlavna
• Walk Crafts Lane artisan workshops
• Pass Executioner's Bastion and Miklus Prison
• End at neo-Gothic Jakab Palace

The experience

How do you explore a city's history without keeping up with a group or a fixed schedule? This tour hands you the route and the stories, then steps out of the way. Ten stops trace Košice's old town along Hlavná, starting at a 14th-century Gothic chapel beside the cathedral and moving through the city's medieval and Baroque layers. At each stop, your phone delivers a short audio account of what you're looking at (the carved stonework, the patterned roof tiles, the sculpted detail) plus the same story in writing if you'd rather read, an interactive quiz about what you've just learned, and directions to the next location. Everything loads on your smartphone with no app to download and no internet needed once you've started.

The stops themselves are the draw: Slovakia's largest church and one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe, rebuilt after fire with a Renaissance gallery wrapped around its base; the musical fountain choreographed to music in the park between the cathedral and the State Theatre; a neo-Baroque theatre from the end of the 19th century standing at Hlavná's centre; a Baroque plague column crowned by the Immaculata; Crafts Lane, a narrow street lined with restored workshops where artisans still work; the Executioner's Bastion and Miklus Prison built into the medieval defences; and a neo-Gothic palace built by architect Peter Jakab using stone left over from the cathedral restoration. The route ends there, a short walk from the Hornad river.

Start whenever suits your day: early morning before the crowds, mid-afternoon after lunch, or whenever you arrive in the old town. Pause for a coffee, linger at a stop that catches your interest, skip ahead if something doesn't hold you, or circle back. The whole walk takes about an hour of easy walking, but there's no clock running. Audio and text come in seven languages, so you can follow in whichever one you prefer.

What’s included

• Self-guided tour accessible on your smartphone with no app required.
• audio guide with written text at each of the ten stops.
• interactive quiz at every location.
• map directions between stops.
• audio and text in seven languages.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

GroupPrivate

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Ciceru

Is this one for you?You set the start time and the pace, which means you can begin whenever you arrive in the old town and pause for a coffee without losing your place: ideal if you're staying elsewhere in Košice or don't have a car to move between sites on a fixed schedule.

Top questions

Can I do this tour without downloading an app?

Yes. Everything runs directly on your smartphone through a web link: no app to download, no extra step before you start. Audio and text load on your phone, and you can use the tour offline once it's loaded.

What is Slovakia's largest cathedral like when I get there?

The cathedral is one of the easternmost Gothic cathedrals in Europe, begun in the late 14th century. You'll see the carved portals, the patterned roof tiles and the west front from the square outside, and the audio story explains what you're looking at while you stand there.

What happens at the musical fountain on Hlavná?

The fountain's jets are choreographed to music and it sits in the park between the cathedral and the State Theatre. It's a popular gathering spot and a natural place to pause mid-route if you want to rest.

How long does the whole tour take?

The route covers about an hour of easy walking if you move straight through, but you set the pace. You can spend longer at stops that interest you, take breaks whenever you like, or move faster through others.

What languages is the audio guide available in?

Audio and text are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German and Chinese, so you can follow in whichever language you prefer.