Pécs
A city where a 4th-century Roman necropolis lies under the same square as the largest mosque ever built in Hungary, now a Catholic church.
- When to go
- September 18° · 8 rainy days
- Per day
- ~38 · 51 · 59 €budget · mid · comfort, per person · checked 21 Sep 2026
- How many days
- 1–2days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 10 km Pécs
- Right now
One day covers the centre of Pécs on foot, two add the Zsolnay Quarter and a trip on the Villány wine road — the city has no airport of its own, so the real gateway is Budapest, 3 h 10–4 h 05 by bus and train. Under Széchenyi Square lie the graves of Roman Sopianae from the 4th century, now the Early Christian Necropolis under UNESCO protection; above ground, on the same square, the largest mosque ever built in Hungary still serves as a Catholic church.
Pécs is the Hungarian name for the Roman Sopianae — in the 4th century a Christian centre of the province of Pannonia, with underground burial chambers that now form the Early Christian Necropolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The University of Pécs, founded in 1367 at the request of King Louis I with permission from Pope Urban V, is the oldest in Hungary.
The city is home to the Zsolnay factory, founded in 1853 by Miklós Zsolnay; his son Vilmos developed pyrogranite in 1893, a frost-resistant ceramic used since on roofs and façades across Hungary — part of the factory complex is now a cultural quarter with museums and studios.
Guides for Pécs
Shorter, practical pages for one concrete question each — how many days, how much money, where to sleep, where to escape the city.
Pécs in 2 days
→Day one is the centre around Széchenyi Square, day two the Zsolnay Quarter and the Csontváry Museum — both routes take…
Day trips from Pécs
→The Villány wine road, the fortress at Siklós, the spa at Harkány and the Abaliget cave — all four fit into half a day…
Where to stay in Pécs
→In Pécs the choice isn't about a metro stop — the city has none — it's about how close you are to Széchenyi Square…
What Pécs costs
→Hungary is not in the eurozone — prices here are converted to euro for comparison, but you pay in forint. A mid-range…
The Pécs the six main sights skip
→An active synagogue in the Hungarian Romantic style, the ruins of a bishop's summer residence above the city, and a…
What to eat in Pécs
→Goulash soup and pork pörkölt are on almost every gostionica menu, the fish soup is made from carp, and a market lángos…
The best time to visit Pécs
→Pécs has a continental climate with no sea to soften it — summer holds an average up to 27°C, winter is cold, and the…
Getting around Pécs
→Pécs has no airport of its own with scheduled passenger flights — the way in is Budapest airport, then a bus into the…
Mistakes everyone makes in Pécs
→Forint doesn't turn into euro at the till, the Csontváry Museum is shut on Mondays, and Pécs-Pogány has no passenger…
What to see in Pécs
Early Christian Necropolis
The Roman town of Sopianae was a Christian centre of the province of Pannonia in the 4th century; the underground burial chambers under Széchenyi Square have been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2000. A combined Világörökség ticket opens all three sites (Cella Septichora, the Early Christian Mausoleum, Apáca utca 8). Entry €10.76.
€10.76 · closed Monday
Mosque of Pasha Qasim
The largest mosque ever built in Hungary, put up in the mid-16th century from stone taken from the Gothic Church of St Bartholomew that had stood on the same spot. The exterior has not changed since it became a Catholic church after Ottoman rule ended — the hive-pattern windows, stalactite vault and a mihrab facing Mecca are still visible inside. Entry €4.14, Mon–Sat 9–17, Sun 13–17.
€4.14
Pécs Cathedral
The foundations reach back to a 4th-century early Christian basilica; the diocese was founded in 1009 by King Stephen I, and today's building was begun in the late 11th century. The cathedral got its present look, with four towers visible across the centre, in a restoration from 1882 to 1891 led by the architect Friedrich von Schmidt. A visit takes 30 min (minimum). Entry €9.93.
€9.93 · 30 min (minimum)
Zsolnay Quarter
The porcelain factory founded in 1853 by Miklós Zsolnay is now a cultural quarter with museums, studios and the m21 gallery. This is where the founder's son Vilmos developed pyrogranite in 1893, a frost-resistant ceramic used since on roofs and façades across Hungary. A visit takes 1–2 h; free (grounds); Heritage ticket €33.11.
free (grounds); Heritage ticket €33.11 · 1–2 h
Széchenyi Square
The main city square, with the Mosque of Pasha Qasim on one side and a street running straight to the Cathedral on the other — both sights charge separately, the square itself is open and free. It is also where the walk to the Early Christian Necropolis starts, a few streets down. Entry free.
free
Csontváry Museum
Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka worked as a pharmacist until he was 41, then taught himself to paint; after his death in 1919 his paintings were nearly sold off at auction, until the architect Gedeon Gerlóczy brought them to Pécs instead. The museum opened on 10 October 1973 in a building in the centre and holds the largest collection of his work. Entry €8.28, Tue–Sun 10–18, closed Monday.
€8.28 · closed Monday
Ready for Pécs?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Pécs — day trips or weekends.
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Austria
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All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
Within reach from here: Lake Balaton, Subotica and Palić
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