Pécs keeps reinventing itself. This easygoing, sun-dappled city at the southern foot of the Mecsek blends a buoyant cultural scene with deep layers of history, and it doesn’t take much to fall for it. Imagine organizes regular, light-hearted yet content-rich thematic walks that pull back the curtain on Pécs’ legends, architecture, flavors, and faith. Ready to wander?
After-hours tours and cathedral nights
Mark your calendar. On 2025.12.29 at 18:30, step into the legendary Post Palace (Postapalota) for a “time-travel” building tour after closing. Pécs’ monumental post palace invites late-day explorers to roam its storied corridors and hidden corners without the daytime rush. The same evening at 18:30, the Pécs Cathedral opens its doors for an atmospheric night visit under the question: do saints sleep at night? The tour returns on 2026.01.24 at 19:00 and again on 2026.02.27 at 18:30, turning the basilica’s spires and chapels into a twilight theater of stone and silence.
Wine-soaked city strolls and villa memories
Follow the grape in “Wine, Rapture, Pécs” (Bor, mámor, Pécs), a gastro-walk tracing the city’s wine story on 2026.01.17 at 13:00 and 2026.02.21 at 13:00. Think local bottles, bold flavors, and cellar lore stitched into the city’s fabric. Prefer architecture? “Memories from the Vasváry Villa” (Emlékek a Vasváry-villából), a building tour inside the Hungarian Academy of Sciences headquarters, guides you through the memories of the Vasváry Villa on 2026.01.24 at 10:00 and 2026.02.28 at 10:00, revealing how Pécs’ learned past lives behind heritage walls.
Sleep in style: heritage hotels and hillside havens
Adele Boutique Hotel Pécs brings four-star polish to a 19th-century protected building in the historic downtown. Inside its rooms and apartments, old and new meet in a sleek, exclusive marriage—period charm, modern comfort, zero compromise.
At Havihegy, Bagolyvár offers a breath of clean air above the city, restful and scenic. Its special touch? Nineteen rooms adorned with Hungarian folk-art elements, plus six suites modeled after traditional wine press houses, each channeling the character and mood of a famous Hungarian grape variety. With bespoke furnishings, quiet surrounds, and sweeping views toward Pécs—and the Zengő side—this is a retreat with a panorama. The on-site Hungarian restaurant doubles down on the theme: classic dishes and sweets, traditional décor, and an international nod on the menu.
A stone’s throw from the historic core, tucked behind the cathedral, the Barbakán Hotel offers 16 rooms across double, triple, and quadruple setups, plus a conference room and garage. Up on the Mecsek hillside, a family-run pension hides in a tranquil villa district: five minutes to forest trails, five minutes to downtown. The Pécs Zoo and the Da Vinci Private Clinic sit nearby, while the Mandulás recreation area—playground, fire pits, and trailheads to the TV tower—is just a few hundred meters away. Group guests can even request free guided hikes.
Boutique Hotel Sopianae leans into contrast: a heritage-look exterior with a modern interior, right in the city center. Service is high-touch yet discreet, with a cozy, personal feel. For hikers, the Büdöskút key house (Büdöskúti kulcsosház) lies halfway between Remete-rét and Orfű, about 800 yards off the road along the BLUE (KÉK) and GREEN CROSS (ZÖLD KERESZT) marked trails, and can host up to 12 people.
In the villa quarter near the UNESCO-listed Early Christian Necropolis and the cathedral, an apartment hotel places guests just minutes from Pécs’ famed museum street. Another central lodging sits inside the former convent of the Canonesses of Our Lady, a baroque building from around 1870. Freshly renovated inside, it pairs a historical shell with fully modern comforts in the heart of town. One more city-center pick sits near leafy streets, steps from the old core; the Pécs Knowledge Center and the Zoltán Kodály Concert Hall (Kodály Központ) are just 1,640 feet away.
Tastes of Pécs: chocolate to craft brews
Craving sweets? Angyali Kísértés Chocolate Shop sells chocolates, bonbons, and home-style pastries. A relaxed local tavern offers something for everyone—breaded, grilled, and stuffed meats, brassói pork, fish, oven-baked plates, risottos, classic pastas, flatbreads, and pizzas galore, plus plenty of salads, soups, and desserts. Another city-center restaurant keeps to the best Hungarian traditions with reliable quality, fair prices, and a flexible menu. Weekday lunches come with brisk service and a rotating lineup, while breakfast from 8 a.m. brings foamy coffee, sandwiches, house-made pogácsa, and flaky pulled strudel. They also host standing receptions and smaller events on-site or off-site.
Aranykacsa Restaurant (Aranykacsa Étterem) champions local ingredients and modern techniques. Drop into the Vinárium for tastings; the Tüke room for everyday wine, beer, and meals; the Zsolnay room for family and protocol dining; and the upstairs Dakk hall and garden for weddings, banquets, and birthday parties.
Bagolyvár’s restaurant repeats its winning formula—panoramas, Hungarian classics, and vintage-style desserts—while a bistro at the Balkans’ gateway serves fresh, homey fare with good ingredients in an unbuttoned setting and great value. Big Bell Restaurant (Big Bell Étterem) now boasts a small-batch show brewery and beer garden. In the heart of Pécs, Bohemia Beer Kitchen (Bohemia Sörkonyha) lives by three B’s: Beer, Burger, BBQ. For quick lunches on Király Street, Borostyán Fast Food feeds weekday crowds from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. And PAULUS shapeshifts through the day: café in the morning, self-service at noon, beer spot by evening, with rotating events to match.
Plan, but stay flexible
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs. In Pécs, serendipity is part of the fun—so leave room for surprise.
