Košice Welcomes Visegrad Group Partner Cities for International Sports and Partnership Event
From March 27 to 29, 2025, the city of Košice in eastern Slovakia hosted the latest edition of the long-standing international event, the V4 Partner Cities Meeting. Representatives and municipal employees from Ostrava (Czech Republic), Katowice (Poland), and Miskolc (Hungary) joined their Slovak counterparts for a multi-day gathering aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and friendly ties through sport.
Participants from the meeting, along with Deputy Mayor Dagmar Macháčková. Photo: Martin Bregel.
. As part of the program, city teams competed in a friendly sports tournament, fostering camaraderie and community spirit across national borders.
The host city traditionally selects the sports disciplines for the event. This year, Košice chose badminton, table tennis, tennis, football, and a 4 x 400-meter relay. The competition was held in a friendly and relaxed environment, showcasing both team spirit and the importance of healthy, active lifestyles. Košice proudly secured first place, followed by Ostrava, Miskolc, and Katowice.
The event concluded with a festive closing ceremony, attended by city leaders and participating teams. Košice’s Deputy Mayor, Lucia Gurbáľová, officiated the celebration and presented awards to the winning teams.
A key part of the event was a guided tour of Košice’s state-of-the-art sports facilities. Guests from across Central Europe had the opportunity to visit flagship projects such as the National Tennis Center, the National Olympic Swimming Center, and the Košice Football Arena—highlighting the city’s investment in modern, high-quality infrastructure that supports both recreational and professional sport.
The next edition of the V4 Partner Cities Meeting will be held in Ostrava. During the closing ceremony, Deputy Mayor OF Ostrava Dagmar Macháčková formally accepted the symbolic baton from Košice and invited all participants to her city:
“Ostrava proudly defines itself as a ‘City of Sport’. Hosting this event is a matter of prestige for us, especially as our partners have set such a high standard. We all live in cities at the heart of Central Europe—a region that has continually evolved throughout history. As French historian Jacques Le Rider once said, ‘Central Europe is an ensemble that constantly changes through time and space.’ While we understand this, I believe our continued cooperation can become a steady and lasting tradition.”