Hot July in Košice means shade on Hlavná street is hard to find, and any source of coolness in the city feels like a small celebration. So, news from the city services came at the right time: two more fountains were turned on in Košice, and one of them had been silent for over twenty years.
As Korzár writes, after these two fountains were activated, the city now has 17 fountains working. Bringing a fountain back to life after decades of being out of order is not common. Such objects usually need serious repairs to the water pipes, pumps, and basin, so cities are reluctant to do this.
Fountains in Košice operate seasonally: they are turned on in spring and turned off when the cold weather arrives. So, July and August are the peak of their "working year." The most famous fountain in the city is, of course, the singing fountain on Hlavná, located between St. Elisabeth Cathedral and the State Theatre. It has been gathering locals and tourists for decades, especially in the evening when the lights and music are turned on.
For those walking around Košice with children or simply looking for a place to rest in the heat, a map of working fountains is a practical tool. Most fountains have benches nearby, and the microclimate around them is noticeably more pleasant than on the hot pavement. And although you should not swim in the city fountains (the water is technical and circulates in a loop), no one forbids you to stand nearby and catch the water mist.
If the city's renovation continues at this pace, Košice might have even more fountains – the city is gradually repairing objects that have been there since the last century. Let's see which of the "silent" fountains will start working next.
