Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia located in the southwestern part of a country and the banks of the Danube. It has appr. 490, 000 residents and its metropolitan area about 660, 000.
Košice is a centre of the eastern Slovakia and lies on the banks of the Hornád River and is embraced by the Slovak Ore Mountains. It has appr. 240, 000 residents and it is the second largest city in Slovakia after the capital Bratislava. It was the European Capital of Culture in 2013 together with Marseille.