Košice

Košice is the second largest city in Slovakia situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, 20 kilometers  from the border with Hungary, 80 km from the border with Ukraine and 90 kilometers from the border with Poland. In 1347 it was granted its own coat of arms by Louis I of Hungary and became the second place city in the hierarchy of the Hungarian free royal towns with the same rights as the capital Buda. Today Košice is the seat of the Košice Region and Košice self-governing Region. It is an important centre of culture, education, tourism and economy. Thanks to the largest steel mill in the country located here Košice is sometimes referred to as the "steel heart of Slovakia". Košice is also the seat of Slovak Constitutional Court, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese, the Greek Catholic Diocese and the Evangelical Bishopry. Košice is the seat of universities and cultural institutions. In 2009 together with Marseille in France the city was granted the title of European Capital of Culture for the year 2013. The Košice ice hockey club is one of the most successful Slovak hockey clubs and is a two times domestic league winner.