# Where to stay for the Košice Christmas markets > Košice Christmas market 2026 runs on Hlavná Street 1–23 and 26–31 December, 9:00–21:00. What to expect, the City Park ice rink, and where to stay within walking distance. Source page: https://kosicecitypark.com/kosice/christmas-markets.html · Last updated: 2026-10-03 Cassovia City Park Residence, Svätoplukova Street, Košice, Slovakia · Contact: phone/SMS +421 908 222 608 (Peter), also Viber · kosice.booking.airbnb@gmail.com Dates for 2026, what to expect on Hlavná Street, ice skating in City Park — and a fireside base a short walk away. **The Košice Christmas market runs on Hlavná Street from 1 to 23 December 2026 and again from 26 to 31 December 2026, open 9:00–21:00, according to the vendor conditions published by the City of Košice.** To enjoy it on foot, stay in or near the Old Town: anywhere within a 10-minute walk of Hlavná lets you pop in and out, warm up, and go back after dark when the lights are at their best. ## When is the 2026 market? The City of Košice organises the market itself. Its official conditions for stallholders, published in September 2026, set out: - **Location:** the pedestrian zone of Hlavná Street. - **Dates:** 1–23 December 2026 and 26–31 December 2026 (closed on 24 and 25 December). - **Opening hours:** 9:00–21:00, with all stalls required to be open at least 12:00–21:00 — so mornings can be quieter, with fewer stalls trading. The full cultural programme for 2026 had not been published when we checked. Watch the city’s website, [kosice.sk](https://www.kosice.sk/), from November. ## What to expect The market is part of the city’s wider *Košické rozprávkové Vianoce* (“Košice Fairy-tale Christmas”) season. In 2025 — the 31st year — it opened on 1 December with the lighting of the Christmas tree by the Immaculata plague column on Hlavná, and the main stage there hosted a programme every evening from 17:00 to 19:00 until 23 December. Expect something similar in 2026, but check the final programme. The stalls are sorted into a few categories under the city’s rules: - **Grilled meat specialities** — sausages and similar hearty street food. - **Meat-free specialities** — the city’s own examples are *langoše* (fried dough), *lokše* (potato pancakes) and *trdelník* (chimney cake). - **Wine and mead** — mulled wine and *medovina* are the classic warmers. - **Souvenirs** — the city says it prefers makers and Christmas-themed goods. One local quirk: ordinary stallholders are not allowed to sell punch. In recent years punch has been served by the city’s charity stall, *Primátorský punč* (the Mayor’s punch), with proceeds going to local non-profits. ## Ice skating in City Park Košice’s open-air ice rink is not on Hlavná but in Mestský park (City Park). In winter 2025/26 — its fifth season — it opened on 6 December with a free St Nicholas skate, and the city said it would run, weather permitting, until about the end of February. Public sessions were generally 8:00–19:00, skates could be hired and sharpened on site, and children under six had to be accompanied by someone over 15. It sits next to the *Krajina Rozprávkovo* (“Fairy-tale Land”) light installations in the park. Dates for the 2026/27 season had not been announced when we checked. ## Tips for a December visit - **Go after dark.** The lights on Hlavná and around St Elisabeth Cathedral are the point; the evening stage programme usually starts at 17:00. - **Weekends are busiest.** Weekday evenings are calmer if you want to browse. - **Don’t drive to the market.** Hlavná is pedestrian and central parking is in the city’s most expensive A1 zone, charged Monday to Saturday around the clock. Leave the car where you are staying — see our [parking guide](https://kosicecitypark.com/kosice/accommodation-with-parking.html). - **Plan around 24–25 December.** The market closes for those two days and reopens on the 26th. - **Book early for the busiest weekends.** Apartments close to the centre go first in December. ## A warm base 10 minutes from the market Cassovia City Park Residence is about 10 minutes’ walk (roughly 700 m) from Hlavná Street (the quickest way is along Vodná and Františkánska streets), and the City Park ice rink is a few minutes’ walk away. It is built for winter: warm up by the fireplace, then sit in the hot rooftop jacuzzi under the cold night sky. - Working fireplace in the open-plan living room - Private rooftop jacuzzi — one guest called it a pleasure “during the freezing Košice weather” - Underfloor heating and wall heaters - Free dedicated parking in front of the building, so the car stays put - Full kitchen for a relaxed Christmas dinner in; up to 6 guests (best for 5 adults, or 4 adults and 2 children) - Self check-in via lockbox for late arrivals See the [rooftop and jacuzzi](https://kosicecitypark.com/rooftop.html) and the [apartment](https://kosicecitypark.com/apartment.html). ## Sources - [City of Košice — Conditions for vendors at the 2026 Christmas markets (dates, hours, location)](https://www.kosice.sk/clanok/podmienky-ucasti-predajcov-na-vianocnych-trhoch-2026) - [City of Košice — City Park ice rink opening, December 2025](https://www.kosice.sk/clanok/klzisko-v-mestskom-parku-odstartuje-v-sobotu-bezplatnou-mikulasskou-korculovackou) - [SITA — Košice Fairy-tale Christmas 2025 programme and Primátorský punč](https://sita.sk/kosicke-rozpravkove-vianoce-odstartuju-rozsvietenim-stromceka-pripravene-su-viacere-novinky-foto/) - [Parking Košice — tariff zones and charging hours](https://parking.kosice.sk/zaplatit-parkovne/) - [Walking distances: OpenStreetMap foot routing (FOSSGIS OSRM) from the apartment](https://routing.openstreetmap.de/) *Last checked: October 2026.* Timetables, prices and event dates change — please confirm with the official source before you travel. ## Spend Christmas by the fire, 10 minutes from Hlavná Pick your December dates in the live calendar and book directly — with free parking and a personal welcome.