Košice Welcomes Ice Hockey Fans

The Eastern Slovakian city of Košice was one of the venues of the World Ice Hockey Championships this May, hosting a multitude of visitors.

Following the event, Mayor Jaroslav Polaček thanked the organizing committee and other partners for their work in welcoming approximately 250,000 visitors to the city – many of them from within the country as the Slovak national team also played there. He said that a lot of improvements had been made in the city and they wish to carry out the positive changes in the future, too. “For us, it is also a welcome development that the Slovak and foreign fans got to like Košice. they say they wish to return to our city,” he added.

According to Aneta Büdi, director of the organizing committee of the Hockey World Championship in Košice, the event was very positive for the organizers, the press and the fans. "There were a few little things we had to deal with on the go, but we are confident that the public will only perceive the positive signals of the championship, and everyone will feel good at home."

Before, between and after the matches, foreign and domestic visitors had the chance to admire the beauty of Košice County within the framework of one-day excursions from the Košice Region Tourism. Košice Region trips took visitors to places like Spiš Castle, Kaltenecker Brewery in Rožňava, Tokaj and the Thermal Šírava Spa Resort.

The organizers also welcomed the railway enthusiasts: they were taken by a steam-engine driven train to the Dobsina Ice Cave.