A market along Slovakia's longest pedestrian street
<p>Košice's Christmas market runs the length of Hlavná ulica, the long pedestrian boulevard at the heart of the Old Town, giving it a different shape from Bratislava's square-based market — visitors walk the stalls in a single, largely straight line rather than circling a plaza.</p>
<p>St Elisabeth Cathedral, the largest church in Slovakia, anchors one end of the street and is lit for the season, making it a natural photo point and a good place to start or finish a walk through the market.</p>
<p>St Elisabeth Cathedral, the largest church in Slovakia, anchors one end of the street and is lit for the season, making it a natural photo point and a good place to start or finish a walk through the market.</p>
What to look for during your visit
5 highlightsStalls running the length of Hlavná ulica, Slovakia's longest pedestrian street
St Elisabeth Cathedral illuminated at one end of the market
An outdoor ice rink near the Singing Fountain
Fewer crowds than Bratislava's market on weekends
Good access point for exploring the rest of Košice's Old Town
A place shaped across centuries
<p>Hlavná ulica has been Košice's civic and commercial spine for centuries, and its Christmas market has grown alongside the city's broader Advent programme, which includes an ice rink and a public tree-lighting ceremony that draws a large crowd from across eastern Slovakia.</p>
What to expect when you arrive
<p>Because the market spreads along a single street rather than clustering around one square, it feels less crowded than Bratislava's even on a busy weekend, and stalls selling food tend to sit closer to the cathedral end while craft stalls spread further along.</p>
<p>An outdoor ice rink is usually set up near the Singing Fountain, roughly midway along Hlavná ulica, and skate rental is available on site for visitors who did not bring their own.</p>
<p>An outdoor ice rink is usually set up near the Singing Fountain, roughly midway along Hlavná ulica, and skate rental is available on site for visitors who did not bring their own.</p>
Plan your visit
Address
Košice
Best time to visit
Late November to early January, evenings for the lights
Getting there
<p>The market is in central Košice, a 15-minute walk from the main train station. Košice has direct train connections to Bratislava (around 5 hours), Prešov and Michalovce, and an international airport with seasonal European connections.</p>
