I once spoke to a world-wise American who had just returned from Kosice and he said that he had never seen a town in such a mess in all his life.. I told him that I had been to Miami and thought that that was pretty ugly too.

Kosice is a sprawling ex-industrial town that now suffers from high unemployment thanks to the lack of the communist system that allowed the heavy industry to flourish here through the later part of the twentieth century… it must be a bit like Detroit or something!!

The historic centre (small as it is) was, however, built long before the industrial revolution and still beholds great charm. And there you can actually forget the outskirts and admire the architecture over a cup of coffee in one of the many street cafes.