Pécs, European Capital of Culture 2010

We drive you to Pécs, stopping on the way to visit the interesting small Catholic church in Paks. The wooden church, the work of the architect Imre Makovecz, is a fine example of modern, archaic and mystical architecture from the end of the 20th century. Pécs, with its 160,000 inhabitants, is the seat and the largest city of the Transdanubian region in south-west Hungary: a Catholic episcopal seat and a university city that is home to a large number of festivals and other cultural events. The European Union awarded the city the title of European Capital of Culture for 2010. The cultural, artistic and intellectual heritage of the city, the traditions of its ethnic minorities, and its geographical location and environment make Pécs one of the most exciting cities in Hungary. After our arrival in Pécs we visit Széchenyi Square and the largest Turkish historical monument in Hungary, the Gázi Kászim Dzsámi (once a mosque, today a Catholic parish church). Then we visit the Zsolnay Museum, which displays the most significant pieces of the Zsolnay ceramics factory along with the history of the family, in the oldest known dwelling house of Pécs. Time for lunch (optional). Then we wander among the relics of early Christian culture: the early Christian cemetery, part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. Very significant burial structures, built in the 4th century AD, have been found since 1780 between the Barbican and Széchenyi Square; visitors can admire the richly decorated walls and barrel vaults of the underground chambers. We can also visit the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul. Return to Budapest.