Competition

Hotel Bankov, Košice - 5^thround of the Historical Hotels Competition
  
    
 
The metropolis of Košice in Eastern Slovakia proudly boasts that it has the longest operating hotel in the country, with the first guest having been welcomed through its doors 143 years ago.
 
It is the Four-Star “Hotel Bankov” (pronounced Bankow), which is situated in the pleasant forest environment of the Slovak Ore Mountains and is only five minutes drive from the historic city centre of Košice.
 
The hotel was built around a chapel, which is still part of the hotel, and was built in 1765, whereas the construction of the hotel itself was started later in 1867, and implemented by Michael Répaszkého, under Kosice’s own – and well known architect Peter Jakab.
 
This hotel comes complete with two dozen rooms, spa rooms, and a restaurant was ready to be used two years later. The people of Košice sought it not only vary their social life, but also because of its famous “tea at five”. The Hotel Bankov captures the atmosphere and contemporary postcards owned by John Gaspar. The oldest dates from 1868.
 
The Hotel bank was founded in a place of several mineral springs, where people sought their healing powers. However, their healing powers diminished somewhat after the first proper chemical analysis of the water. Sulphur and iron, which should be beneficial human health, only appeared only in small quantities.
 
Despite this fact, therefore, citizens of Košice didn’t neglect the Bankov area; on the contrary wealthy burghers and dignitaries even started to build their residences in the nearby area. Some of them have been preserved to this day.
 
Today, as in the past, visitors come to the Bank for relaxation, romance, hiking and other sport activities. The atmosphere of the hotel was recently praised by the Swedes and Finns, who, during the ice hockey world championship in Kosice provided television broadcasts of matches in their countries. Among famous guests to the Hotel Bank was the former president Rudolf Schuster, who was waiting for the results of the presidential election in the hotel, and even a famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, who stayed here during their concerts in Kosice.
 
The question for this round of the contest is:What is the name Hotel Bankov derived from?
 
Make sure your answers are posted or emailed in before the 1^st of March 2012. Our postal address is: Radio Slovakia International, English section Mytna 1, POBOX 55 81755 Bratislava Slovakia. Our email address is:
 
Remember the main prize in our competition is a week’s stay at one of the historic hotels, namely the Sandor Pavillion in Piešťany or the Amade Chateau in Vrakun – prizes which are brought to you by the Association of Historic hotels Slovakia.
 
Note: The competition is open to only people who live outside of Slovakia. If you are chosen as the winner, you will need to find your own transport to your destination as travel expenses are not included. 
 

Pripojené súbory

Hotel Bankov, Košice - 5thround of the Historical Hotels Competition.mp3

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