Things to Do in Pécs, Hungary

Quick facts: Here the famous Zsolnay porcelains were manufactured, recognized for their characteristic iridescent sheen called pyrogranite. The cultural district covers more than 5 hectares and houses artisan workshops, galleries, and contemporary art spaces.

Highlights: The green and blue roofs that gleam under the sun are not painted, but use a special uranium oxide glaze that Zsolnay perfected in the 19th century. At sunset, the pyrogranite facades capture the golden light and seem to come to life.

Quick facts: With its 150 meters in length and 70 meters in width, this square is one of the largest in Hungary. Beneath its surface lies a system of Roman tunnels and catacombs dating from the 4th century, open to the public for guided tours.

Highlights: In the center of the square stands the bronze equestrian statue of King Louis the Great, but what almost nobody notices is that the horse has only one raised leg, a detail that symbolizes that the king died in battle. Every August 20, the square transforms into a stage of light and music with more than 10,000 candles lit to celebrate the national holiday.

Quick facts: Here is kept the largest collection of works by Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka, a Hungarian painter who worked as a pharmacist before dedicating himself to art at age 41. His monumental canvases, such as "The Lonely Cedar," reach 4 meters in width and were painted with a unique technique that no one has managed to fully decipher.

Highlights: The museum houses "The Entrance to the Valley," a 3.5-meter oil painting that Csontváry considered his masterpiece and that predicted his own artistic success before anyone recognized him. The brushstrokes have such pronounced reliefs that you can see the texture of the paint from several meters away, as if the painting were breathing.

Quick facts: Its copper dome, 12 meters high, shines under the sun like a beacon in the center of the city. The 1,200 seats in the main hall are arranged in a horseshoe shape, offering exceptional acoustics for opera and theater.

Highlights: Just before each performance, an usher dressed in red livery strikes the floor three times with an ebony cane, a tradition dating from 1895. The metallic thunder of the cane echoes through the marble lobby and can be heard in every corner of the theater.

Quick facts: More than 100 different species live together in the zoo and aquarium-terrarium, including jaguars, meerkats, and an impressive collection of reptiles. The aquarium houses sharks, piranhas, and colorful tropical fish that fascinate both children and adults.

Highlights: The aquarium-terrarium offers a 12-meter underwater tunnel where sharks swim literally over your head, an experience that few zoos in the country provide. The terrarium section brings together python snakes over 4 meters long alongside poisonous dart frogs in impossible colors, all in a single tour.

Quick facts: At over 2,000 years old, the Celtic burial mounds at Tettye Park predate the Roman occupation of Pannonia. A 16th-century Turkish fountain and the ruins of a bishop's Renaissance palace sit side by side, revealing layers of Pécs's complex history in one compact hillside park.

Highlights: Buried beneath the ivy-covered walls are the remnants of an elaborate Renaissance loggia and an underground cave system that once served as a wine cellar for the bishops. On misty mornings, the park's natural spring-fed pools reflect the ruined arches, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere that feels centuries removed from the city below.