Kosice

Kosice runs the whole show for free: the historic core is a carless pedestrian zone strung along Hlavna ulica, so you can walk the entire old town past the Cathedral of St. Elisabeth, the palaces, fountains, and side alleys without spending a cent. As Slovakia’s second city far from the capital, prices sit well below Bratislava, and the European Capital of Culture 2013 upgrade left the public squares and walkways genuinely pleasant to linger in. Stop by the Visit Kosice infopoint for free city maps and a pocket guide, then save your euros for a cheap local lunch off the main square. It also makes an easy budget base for the east, an affordable jump-off toward the High Tatras or a cross-border run to Eger in Hungary, with late spring and early autumn the cheapest, quietest windows to visit.