ERASMUS INTENSIVE LANGUAGE COURSES

• DESCRIPTION OF TOWN
- SHORT HISTORY AND LOCATION
PART I: GENERAL INFORMATION
KOŠICE, (EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2013) WITH AROUND 250,000 INHABITANTS, IS THE SECOND
LARGEST CITY IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC AND AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC, INDUSTRIAL AND CULTURAL
CENTRE FOR EASTERN SLOVAKIA. IT IS HOME OF 5 UNIVERSITIES, 5 THEATRES, SEVERAL MUSEUMS,
GALLERIES AND THE STATE PHILHARMONIA. THE CITY IS SITUATED NEAR THE FRONTIERS WITH HUNGARY
(20 KM) UKRAINE (80 KM) AND POLAND (120 KM). KOŠICE HOSTS THE
OLDEST MARATHON IN EUROPE, IT BOASTS THE LARGEST HERITAGE
RESERVATION IN SLOVAKIA AS WELL AS THE LARGEST GOLD TRASURE IN
EUROPE.
KOŠICE’S RICH HISTORY AS A TRADING TOWN DURING THE MIDDLE AGES
HAS LEFT IT WITH A MULTITUDE OF BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS AND
MONUMENTS, MANY OF WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE MAIN STREET
(HLAVNÁ ULICA), WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY A MEDIEVAL SQUARE. THE
FIRST WRITTEN REFERENCE DATES BACK TO THE YEAR 1230. UNDER A
PRIVILAGE GRANTED IN 1324, KOŠICE BECAME A FREE ROYAL CITY.
EMPEROR LOUIS I THE GREAT GRANTED KOŠICE A COAT OF ARMS, THE
FIRST CITY IN EUROPE TO RECEIVE SUCH A PRIVILEGE.
TOWERING OVER THE CENTRE OF THE MAIN SQUARE IS ST. ELISABETH’S
CATHEDRAL COMPLETED IN 1508. IT IS THE LARGEST GOTHIC CATHEDRAL IN
SLOVAKIA AND THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN EASTERN EUROPE. NORTH OF THE
CATHEDRAL STANDS THE NEO-BAROQUE THEATRE OF JANKO BORODÁČ BUILT IN
1899. THE CUPOLA OF ITS MAIN HALL IS DECORATED WITH SCENES FROM
SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS. ON HOT SUMMER DAYS SITTING IN THE PARK BESIDES THE
“SINGING“ FOUNTAIN, WHICH DANCES TO MUSIC, NEAR ST. ELISABETH’S CATHEDRAL
CAN BE PLEASANTLY COOLING AND REFRESHING.
IN THE FIRST WEEK OF THE COURSE THE PARTICIPANTS WILL BE TAKEN ON A
GUIDED TOUR OF THE CITY. DURING WHICH THEY WILL BE ABLE TO VISIT SOME OF
THE MANY PLACES OF INTERESTS OF KOSICE. PERHAPS THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE
OF HERITAGE, THE DOMINANT BUILDING AND PRIDE OF
THE CITY IS THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. ELISABETH. APART
FROM BEAUTIFUL ALTARS NAD THE FRESCO ABOVE THE
RÁKOCZI CRYPT, A SPECIAL ATTRACTION THE VISITORS
CAN ADMIRE HERE IS ITS TWIN SPIRAL GOTHIC CATHEDRAL STAIRS, ONE OF ONLY
FIVE OF THAT KIND STAIRCASES IN EUROPE. YOU CAN ALSO STEP OUT ON
A BALCONY AT THE HEIHT OF 50 METRES AND ENJOY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VIEW
AVAILABLE OVER THE CITY OF KOSICE FROM THE CATHEDRAL TOWER. CLOSE TO
THIS BUILDING THERE IS THE STATE THEATRE, BUILT BETWEEN 1897-99 IN NEO-
BAROQUE STYLE TO THE PLAN OF ADOLF LANG, WHICH IS A UNIQUE
PIECE OF WORK. THE CUPOLA OF THE MAIN HALL IS DECORATED WITH
SCENES FROM SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS.
OTHER MONUMENTS AND PLACES TO VISIT IN THE HISTORICAL CENTRE
ST. MICHAEL’S CHAPEL, WHOSE ARCHITECTURE IS PARTICULARLY
PRESCIOUS, WAS BUILT IN THE 14TH CENTURY.
URBAN’S TOWER, IN WHICH MUSEUM OF WAX FIGURES IS LOCATED, AND
THE BELL NAMED URBAN ARE OTHER MASTERPIECES OF KOSICE
HISTORY. STATUES KNOWN AS THE IMMACULATA GROUP, OR THE VIRGIN
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