From Slovakia to the Czech Republic: 5 cities in one trip

Why not visit neighboring Slovakia, and from there it's just a stone's throw to medieval Czech Republic. In order to fully immerse yourself in the beauty and culture of these two countries, we suggest a drive through five interesting cities: Koschice-Bratislava-Brno-Prague-Plzeň. Due to their common historical past, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have maintained close ties, including in terms of logistics, which makes traveling from one country to another much easier.

Traveling in Slovakia and Czech Republic It is best to start from Košice — the extreme point of our route — comfortable trains and buses depart to all directions in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Several trains a day depart in the direction of Prague. One of them goes through Bratislava and Brno. The price of a ticket from Košice to Prague is approximately €35. Among the bus companies, Eurobus has a good reputation. A ticket from Košice to Prague costs approximately €22, to Bratislava — €19.

Prices for accommodation in all cities on the route are about the same:

• a bed in a hostel — from €5
• a room in a 3* hotel — from €22 for two people
• a room in a 5* hotel — from €57 for two people

Košice

The city of Košice is located in the east of Slovakia — like a mirror image of Bratislava in the west. But this city is nothing like the capital. A compact historical center, which is located a few hundred meters from the railway and bus station.

The small square of the Old Town is dotted with dozens of architectural monuments, including the 14th century Gothic St. Elizabeth Cathedral, the relatively new City Theater, and the Urbana Tower, where the Museum of Metal Jewelry is currently on display. Between the cathedral and the theater there is a musical fountain — every half an hour or more often classical music is played. An interesting monument is the Plague Column, which was built as a sign of gratitude to God for deliverance from the consequences of the medieval plague.

Košice will also be a good place for shopping on the way back, as all shopping centers are located in the New Town, which can be reached by a leisurely 15-20 minute walk.

Bratislava

Situated on the banks of the Danube, Bratislava cannot compete with Vienna or Budapest for the title of the most beautiful "Danube" city. But this capital has its own zest — miniaturization and coziness, which are absent in large metropolitan capitals.

Bratislava Castle is the most prominent landmark of the city. When viewed from the banks of the Danube, it towers above the city and looks majestically at everything around it. This place definitely has a lot to say about itself, so we recommend taking the Millennium City tour, during which you will get to know not only this, but also other incredible sights. In clear weather, you can enjoy a mind-blowing view of the city from the walls of Bratislava Castle or its towers.

The traditional Old Town has a town hall, churches and cathedrals, as well as many cafes and restaurants. Unlike other European capitals of this region, Bratislava has quite democratic prices even for Ukrainian wallet, and the size of portions will pleasantly please you. Another advantage of Bratislava is the ideal "tourist" location of the city. Just an hour drive from the city is Vienna, 1.5 hours — Brno, 3 hours — Budapest.

Brno

When we talk about the Czech Republic, the first thing that comes to mind is the capital Prague. What many people don't know is that Brno is just next door.

If not for Prague, it would definitely become the cultural capital of the country. There are several good galleries ("Moravian Gallery", "Gallery G99", "Cultural Center Brno", "Cabinet", "At the Good Shepherd"), mysterious Capuchin Monastery, Špilberk Castle, Villa Tugendgat (included in the UNESCO List). From June to September Brno has a cultural summer: music festivals of symphonic and contemporary music, theater plays, concerts.

Near the town is the beautiful Slavkov Castle, known as Austerlitz. The famous battle of Austerlitz took place here.

Prague

Prague is one of the tourist meccas of Europe. Judge for yourself: the city is located in the center of Europe, there are several hundred interesting things for tourists, unusual urban architecture, delicious food and beer, and most importantly — everything is very cheap (by European standards). And also there are a lot of young people, eternal partying, medieval atmosphere. The city is equally good in winter and summer, which affects the constant flow of travelers. Today Prague is among the 10 most visited cities in Europe.

Prague can be called the city of festivals. It hosts the famous Prague Spring, Prague Autumn, Prague International Organ Music Festival, Prague Festival of Experimental Art, World Festival of Gypsy Art and others.

There is no sense to list all the sights of Prague, you should definitely go there and see everything with your own eyes, but St. Vitus Cathedral, Hradcany Square, Waldstein Garden, Charles Bridge, Town Hall, St. Mary's Cathedral in front of the Týn, Prague Folk Theater, Rudolfinum Philharmonic Hall, Vysehrad, Zlata Street, Charles University are a must-see.

Plzeň

This city is famous first of all for being the capital of Czech brewing. Here in every restaurant or pub you will be poured the freshest beer, and in the local brewery you can taste all kinds of this drink.

But this is not the only interesting thing about the city, which is the 4th largest in the Czech Republic. Pilsen has a very beautiful Old Town with a beautiful cathedral and castle. The Pilsen Historical Underground — the underground city, which is a system of underground passages and labyrinths — also adds to the uniqueness of the city. 300-400 years ago, this dungeon served as a huge city cellar and pantry for storing food, as well as a workshop and shelter. A big plus would be the fact that the city is located an hour's drive from Prague.