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.
