Kosice
Eslovaquia.

Kosice is Slovakia's compact second-city: 240k inhabitants, cultural capital of the east, an oval Old Town built around the long Hlavna pedestrian boulevard with St. Elizabeth Cathedral at its centre. Six Booking-rated hostels run with 7+ scores, three of them are summer-rented student dormitories. The 'real' hostels — Hostel Vodna 1 (8.8, most-reviewed in town), Hostel 26 (8.8, cathedral-adjacent with parking) and Cassovia Hostel (8.6, on the Mäsiarska bar street) — are all walkable from the train station, all have shared kitchens, none have in-house bars; the social scene is the Mäsiarska pubs (Halmi 1.50 EUR a beer, Madrid Bar for cocktails, Tabacka craft beer) two minutes from any of them. ŠD Urbánkova 2 is the highest-rated property in town (8.9) with private bathrooms and free parking. Tabačka Kulturfabrik is the alt-culture spot south of Old Town; Spiš Castle UNESCO is the obvious day trip; Tokaj wine country is 90 min south. Direct train to Krakow (5-7h with change), Lviv (4-5h with border), Budapest (4h), Prague (overnight). The 2nd city most travellers skip — and it shouldn't be.