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Guide · Pécs

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 museum devoted to the father of Op Art — three places that do not make the six main sights.

3 places·One of them free·All away from the crowds
Synagogue
Hungarian Romantic style
Vasarely Museum
Opened 1976
Pécs
Pécs

Where to go: five more questions →

The six main sights are what gets seen first; these three are what is left once that is done. The synagogue on Kossuth Square is still an active congregation, the Tettye Ruins are what remains of a bishop's summer residence with a viewpoint over the city, and the Vasarely Museum holds the work of Pécs-born Victor Vasarely, the father of Op Art.

The synagogue on Kossuth Square — still active

Built in the Hungarian Romantic style, designed by the architects Frigyes Feszl, Károly Gerster and Lipót Kauser; it is the third synagogue built in the city and the only one to survive the Second World War. The congregation is still active.

2 daysDay one downtown, from the square to the necropolis:Pécs in 2 days →

Tettye Ruins — a viewpoint above the city

The Pécs bishop György Szatmáry built his Renaissance summer residence here in the early 16th century; during Ottoman rule of the city it served as a dervish monastery, and after the Ottomans withdrew it was left to decay. Today it is part of a park on the rise above the centre, with a viewpoint over the whole city. Entry free.

Day tripsIf the park is too small for a whole day — four trips out of town, all half a day:Day trips from Pécs →

Vasarely Museum — the father of Op Art, born in Pécs

Victor Vasarely, the pioneer of Op Art, was born in this house in 1908; the museum opened in 1976, three years after the foundation deed of 1973, in the year the artist turned seventy. The collection holds graphics Vasarely donated to the city in 1968 and hundreds of silkscreens, tapestries and sculptures he added in 1974, including one of his famous "Zebras".

An order that makes sense

The synagogue sits downtown, near Széchenyi Square — an add-on to Day 1 of the day-by-day plan. The Tettye Ruins and the Vasarely Museum are further from the core, so they naturally pair with the Zsolnay Quarter afternoon on Day 2.

Where to stayWhich area to sleep in:Where to stay in Pécs →FoodGostionicas near these three spots:What to eat in Pécs →BudgetWhat a day costs:What Pécs costs →Getting aroundOn foot or by bus to each one:Getting around Pécs →When to goWhich month to pick:The best time to visit Pécs →MistakesWhat not to do:Mistakes everyone makes in Pécs →
Frequently asked

Before you go

Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.

Is the synagogue in Pécs open to visitors?

Yes, the congregation is still active; the synagogue stands on Kossuth Square, in the centre of the city.

Who built the Tettye Ruins?

The Pécs bishop György Szatmáry, who put up his Renaissance summer residence there in the early 16th century.

Where was Victor Vasarely born?

In Pécs, in 1908; the museum in his birth house opened in 1976.

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Photo credits and licences (1)

All photographs come from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the licence stated beside each one.