Exploring Hungary’s Cultural Gem: An Excursion Through the Countryside

Navigating the Rich History, Nature Trails, and Cultural Treasures of Pécs

The majority of tourists visiting Hungary usually seek out the capital, Budapest. But, as a native and resident of this country, Hungary is comprised of much more than Budapest, even though I have been living here for almost 50 years.

As a result, my wife and I regularly travel to the countryside in Hungary, often on extended weekends supplemented with one or two days off.

We have many favorite places in Hungary that we visit, such as Hévíz, Eger, and Pécs. This time, we chose Pécs again, where we spent four days. This travelogue summarizes the experiences and events of this short visit with pictures, which hopefully contain valuable information for future travelers to Pécs.

About Pécs in Brief

Pécs is the fifth-largest city in Hungary, located in the southwestern part of the country.

In the region inhabited by Celtic and Pannonian tribes, the Romans founded the city in the early 2nd century, naming it Sopianae. By the 4th century, the settlement became a provincial capital and a significant center for early Christianity. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee included the complex of early Christian burial structures from this period on the World Heritage List in December 2000.

In 1009, King Stephen I established the bishopric, and in 1367, King Louis the Great founded the country’s first university in the city. Medieval Pécs became a cultural and artistic hub due to the influence of Bishop Janus Pannonius.

After 150 years of Turkish rule, Pécs received the status of a free royal city from Queen Maria Theresa in 1780. Subsequently, vigorous urbanization and economic development took place. Industrialization accelerated significantly in the first half of the 19th century, with globally renowned products such as Zsolnay ceramics, Littke sparkling wine, and the Angster organ.

In 2010, Pécs, along with Essen and Istanbul, was designated as Europe’s cultural capital.

Today, the city is home to Hungary’s largest university, with nearly 34,000 students.

Travel

Pécs can be reached in several ways. It is connected to the capital, Budapest, by a highway, and there is also a regular Intercity train and bus service between the two major cities. The travel time is generally around two and a half hours.

In the past, we used to visit the city by car, but this time we opted for the train journey.

The Hungarian railway has a website that provides many discounts. Through the website, I purchased the tickets approximately 3 weeks before the journey to take advantage of the greatest travel discounts.

So, the return ticket for both of us cost 32 Euros, which proved to be the most favorable option compared to other alternatives.

Arrival and Accommodation

So, in the early afternoon, we arrived at the Pécs train station, whose central building had been renovated, although its immediate surroundings could use some refurbishment and organization.

I forgot to mention that I arranged our accommodation through one of the popular booking websites. Since we had visited the city several times before, we knew that we wanted to stay in the city center and opted for an apartment as our accommodation type.

As we didn’t have much luggage for the short stay, we set out on foot to approach our accommodation from the train station to the city center, which took approximately 15 minutes.

It’s important to note that Pécs is situated at the foot of the Mecsek Mountains and slopes or, in other words, rises from south to north along the city’s north-south axis. In short, the approach to our accommodation promised to be an easy walk, albeit uphill.

Having occupied our accommodation, which was a comfortable approximately 45-square-meter apartment on the first floor of a downtown rental building, we started our program with a late lunch.

Both my wife and I are vegetarians, which significantly influences our choices. Yet, Pécs is a breath of fresh air in this regard, as the city boasts several high-quality and reasonably priced vegetarian restaurants. Two of them stand out: Mandala and Lyr.

After a hearty lunch, we walked back to our accommodation, and after a short afternoon rest, we visited the Kodály Center, a concert venue realized in 2010 when Pécs was named the European Capital of Culture.

Here, we attended a children’s choir concert, which required prior registration but was free. It was an uplifting and heartwarming experience to listen to the songs of 200 schoolchildren from Pécs singing about peace.

Before planning any potential trip, it’s worth checking the programs at the Kodály Center or other event venues in the city. I used this website, which is not very user-friendly, but it provides essential information.

Second Day

As our apartment didn’t include breakfast early in the morning, we started our day at the new market hall that opened last year. A vast selection greeted us, and we acquired the fruits, vegetables, bakery goods, and dairy products needed for our four-day stay! We love going to markets, so we recommend this morning activity to everyone at this fantastic location.

As mentioned earlier, Pécs is located at the foot of the Mecsek Mountains. From the main square, a beautiful view unfolds before us, with the TV tower building appearing on the top of the densely forested hill, shining in various colors at night.

Accordingly, we dedicated the rest of our second day to hiking.

Several excellent mobile applications perfectly support nature lovers, whether they are looking for a leisurely walk or planning a longer hike. I would recommend two of them: Természetjáró and Mapy.cz.

After short planning, my wife and I decided to connect the hike with a visit to the nearby town of Orfű, which is about 17 kilometers from Pécs.

The main attraction of the town is the three artificial lakes built during the sixties and seventies, namely Lake Orfű, Lake Pécs, and Lake Herman Ottó. The first two are tourist-oriented, while Lake Herman Ottó is more nature-oriented: swimming is not allowed, only fishing.

Another notable feature of the town is the Mill Museum located behind Lake Orfű and the Waterhead Spring, where a nature trail can be found.

So, the starting point of our hike was set, Orfű. But we had to get there somehow. Since we didn’t have our own or rented car, we relied on local public transportation.

The schedule of the entire country’s bus network is available through a very usable website, so we determined the exact departure and arrival times.

After a short walk from our accommodation, we arrived at Pécs central bus station, where, after purchasing tickets (about 3 EUR for both of us for a one-way ticket), we were on our way to Orfű.

The journey took approximately half an hour.

Upon arriving in Orfű, we took a short walk along the shore of the largest lake, surrounded by well-maintained walking paths, and headed towards the forest to start our 14 km hike.

In early October, the weather tends to be more rainy, but this time, we were greeted by exceptionally beautiful, summery, sunny, and dry weather in the Mecsek forest. With the help of the aforementioned mobile application, we could determine when we would return to our accommodation in the city center of Pécs.

My wife and I often go hiking in the nature reserves of Hungary during the autumn, spring, and winter weekends, which is always a calming and rejuvenating experience, not to mention the importance of physical activity.

So, as experienced hikers, we completed the 14-kilometer hike in a little over 3 hours, pleasantly chatting and philosophizing along the way. During such times, profound thoughts and topics often arise, such as spirituality and the meaning of life — probably due to the soothing energy of nature. I am happy that I can discuss these topics with my partner, and due to our shared interests, we can share our personal feelings and thoughts.

Returning to the city center of Pécs, after a short stretch to ensure we could stand on our feet the next day, we closed the day with a pizza dinner.

Third day

We dedicated the third day to the cultural heritage and tourist attractions of the city.

As our first stop, we visited the archaeological site named the Early Christian Burial Chambers, located near the Pecs Cathedral. This necropolis, dating back to the 4th century, is where the early Christian inhabitants of the Roman-era city of Sopianae were buried. In 2000, UNESCO declared it a part of the World Heritage.

Every Saturday at 11 a.m., a guided tour takes place, and it turned out to be well worth the guided tour fee we paid. The entrance fee for both of us was 32 Euros, covering a 1-hour guided tour of the burial chambers and another 1-hour guided tour of the cellars, providing insight into one of Hungary’s most renowned champagne manufacturing facilities.

In the 4th century, the early Christian community of the city of Sopianae erected many burial structures (chapels, burial chambers, built tombs) in their former cemetery. The scale and richness of the early Christian cemetery complex are among the most significant outside of Italy in the memorabilia of necropolises.

On the walls of the burial chambers, alongside early Christian symbols (Christ monogram, dove, jug, and cup), there are close analogies to biblical scenes known from the catacombs of Rome.

During the 1-hour guided tour, each point of interest and highlight was presented, enhancing our understanding.

Following this, we were escorted to the nearby Champagne House, where we jumped about 1500 years forward in time to the mid-19th century, the heyday of champagne production in Pecs.

Also, during the 1-hour guided tour, we gathered plenty of interesting information, such as the fact that beneath the city of Pecs stretches an almost 50 km-long cellar system. In these cellars, wines and champagnes were fermented. At the moment, in the 2 km section of the cellar system that was showcased, traditional champagne production is underway. We could descend to level -5, where bottles filled 4–5 years ago awaited the end of the fermentation process to become ready for consumption.

After the guided tours, we thought it was time to take a break, and we entered the so-called Granary building located behind the cathedral, hiding a café in its courtyard. There, enjoying the wonderful view of the cathedral, we each had a pleasant refreshing drink.

Following an Indian lunch, we returned to our accommodation, and after a short rest, we decided that if museums and exhibition spaces were not enough, we would visit the Modern Hungarian Gallery. The gallery, on a national level, is one of the richest collections, offering a comprehensive cross-section of Hungarian fine art spanning over a hundred years. The entrance fee was 6.50 EUR per person.

We concluded the day in a pastry shop that also offered vegetarian pastries.

It’s important to highlight that Pecs, as Hungary’s largest university town, is home to many young people, except during the summer. Thus, in the downtown area, there is a lively nightlife not only on weekends. So, those who appreciate entertainment opportunities provided by bars and music events, which attract the university crowd like a magnet, are in a very good place.

Last Day

Since our train only departed around noon back to the capital, we couldn’t miss the city’s landmark, the Csontváry Museum, where almost all the artist’s grand works can be viewed.

The museum is located in the downtown area, showcasing the permanent exhibition of Csontváry Kosztka Tivadar (1853–1919), the solitary giant of Hungarian painting. Besides early study sketches, well-known landscapes and outstanding masterpieces provide a comprehensive overview of the artist’s unique body of work.

After visiting the museum, we set out on foot to the train station, which could be reached from the city center with a 15–20 minute walk.

Summary

I can only recommend to every tourist visiting Hungary to spend a few days exploring Pécs. So, if you don’t just want to spend your time exploring the sights of Budapest but also have the opportunity to visit other regions of the country, then head to Pécs!

Please check out my other writings related to travel.

Hello, I’m Jozsef. I’m writing about spirituality, traveling, and generative AI. To see my stories pop up on your feed, I’d love for you to follow me. (Jozsef Kovacs). And, to have stories sent directly to you, subscribe to my newsletter.👇