Pécs, the most southern city of Hungary has been for 2000 years the native land of cultures and arts
It is known in Europe for the richnesses of its artistic life, its festivals, its museums and historic buildings, as for its universities and scientific workshops.
After the capital (Budapest), it is place where one can find the broadest choice of permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Tourists can visit 17 museums (Museum of Victor Vasarely, museum of contemporary art, of applied art, of archaeology, of Ethnography, ...), 19 Art galleries, numerous registered document (churches, palaces, public buildings and housing), in the historical center of the city, in the streets, and in the squares, sculptures of all the important periods of the last centuries are exposed.
The district of the cathedral is the greatest early Christian archeological site (4th century), registered since November 30th, 2000 on the List of the World heritage of UNESCO, in Central and Eastern Europe.
The city has kept since the Middle Ages the structure of the network of the streets in historical centre inside its walls.
The Turkish occupation, which lasted 150 years from the 15th to the 17th century, marked the image of Pécs by leaving on the principal square a monumental mosque of the 16th century
The renaissance and baroque time also enriched the city with palaces of cut stones.
During 19 and 20th centuries, the decorative construction ceramics of the famous Zsolnay factory contributed to the enrichment of the so particular environment of the city.
Today , Pécs has become one of the exemplary centers of contemporary architecture.
It has been inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage list in 2000 and will be European Capital of Culture in 2010.
