Pécs is a quite undiscovered, but incredibly charming city in Hungary, more precisely in the region called Southern Transdanubia. It could be said that it lies on the edge of Hungary as it is one of the last bigger cities in the southern part of the country in land which is borderline by the Croatian border. Charming city is one of the main university cities in the country and popular destination for those who like to explore Hungarian culture and food without the crowds of tourists.
Incredible mixture of cultural and natural sights
Most of people arriving in Pecs do not know that this was once a very popular tourist destination, with travellers coming mostly from the countries of former Republic of Yugoslavia. Main reason was a tight bond between Croatia, Serbia and this part of Hungary. But, unfortunately for the whole Southern Transdanubia, things changed drastically after the industrial “golden age” ended. Most of the region was in huge troubles, young people started leaving in search for a better life and tourism was in decline.
But as many times before people of Pécs proved that it is possible to turn every bad situation in a better one and city was quite successfully transformed into a lively and trendy destination. Number of tourists is slowly but steady growing, especially since 2010 when Pécs was crowned for the European city of Culture; big industrial companies have changed into small, local and family-run companies; students from different parts of the world are responsible for the vibrant atmosphere and locals are happy to greet new first-time visitors.
Hungarian Mediterranean
Have you ever visited Hungary in the winter? If you are anything like me you probably didn`t like the low temperatures and unpleasant wind that is common in most parts of the country. But Pécs is different. It has a favourable climate, with hot summers and mild winters, and it is commonly called the Hungarian Mediterranean.
Moderate climate in Pécs and most of the Southern Transdanubia has many positive benefits among which the most noticeable being the amazing foods and wines of the region. Some of the best Hungarian wine sorts are produced here, especially in the Villány region.
Main sights in Pécs and Southern Transdanubia
With a huge number of region`s cultural, historical and natural sights it is quite hard to select one to start with. Pécs itself offers great opportunities to get familiar with an interesting Hungarian history from the times of first inhabitants or Roman Empire till the modern age. It features many unique monuments from the times of Ottoman Empire and has one of the most important early Christian mausoleums in Europe (part of UNESCO World Heritage list).
The rest of Southern Transdanubia is even more spectacular. Who doesn’t know the magnificent Lake Balaton? And maybe you had also heard about any of the famous castles in this region? Well, this is only the beginning! You can read more about the sights in Pécs here or discover the hidden gems of Southern Transdanubia here.