Travelling to Košice with the little troublemakers in tow? Not to worry. Slovakia’s second largest city has plenty on offer to keep little ones entertained, no matter how short the attention span. If there’s a child in the world that isn’t excited about the prospect of dinosaur hunting, we aren’t sure what to say.
Dinosaurs are so very, very cool. Nobody disagrees with that statement, and if they do then you need to have a think about whether you need that negativity in your life. The Dino Park is a part of the zoo complex and is full of statues of prehistoric beasts, and we’re not just talking about the classics. Sure, you’ve got your Tyrannosaurs, Stegosaurus, Diplodocus and others, but you’ll also find Pachycephalosaurus, Compsognathus and our personal favourite — Parasaurolophus.
A 4.2km single track railway line that runs through the rural part of town, the Košice Children's Heritage Railway will enchant children and adults alike. There is an sepia-tinged nostalgic romance to trains like this, a feeling that re-awakens the travelling bug in all of us. This was the first pioneer railway in Czechoslovakia and it also has the sad status of being the only one left, a 20-minute journey from Čermeľ to Alpinka. Return tickets for kids cost €3 with adults paying €5 for the same journey, with five daily departures during the summer months.
Did you know that Košice Zoo is the largest in Central Europe in terms of area? Well, you do now. There are almost 1,500 animals lurking within the 292 hectares, the third-largest zoo in all of Europe. Almost 250 species make up the numbers, including African legends like lions, zebras, antelopes and the rest. There are also penguins, and who doesn’t love penguins? To visit using public transport, jump on the number 29 bus and get off at the terminus.
The Singing Fountain in the centre of Košice isn’t going to bust out a guitar and start bellowing Iron & Wine songs in your general direction, but it will create a rather ethereal sound to match its elegance aesthetic. A 22-bell carillon joins in the fun, making for a hugely graceful audio experience in the very heart of Košice.
An interactive museum with a heap of exhibits that are as engaging for adults as they are kids, Košice’s Steel Park is all about introducing young ones to the magic of development, be that through engineering, technology, science or any other means. Big groups need to make a reservation, whereas smaller groups need just head to the Kulturpark on Kukučinova.
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