Pécs’ Zsolnay Cultural Quarter, built on the grounds of the former porcelain manufactory, rolls into 2026 with a packed calendar of temporary and permanent exhibitions. It’s a place where the Zsolnay family’s heritage meets today’s most exciting talents, and where design, fine art, and local culture overlap in surprising ways. The season runs from December 12, 2025 to March 29, 2026, giving plenty of time to dip into the galleries, workshops, and guided tours scattered across this creative hub.
Design Icons: Yesterday and Today
The headline show at the m21 Gallery is Designikonok – tegnap és ma (Design Icons – Yesterday and Today), a smart, tightly curated look at how design and fine art keep borrowing from and pushing each other. Front and center is a rare, limited-edition work by Salvador Dalí for the Alessi Design Factory titled Oggetto Inutile. It’s a striking reminder that boundaries are meant to be questioned—Dalí’s playful, provocative energy running straight through to contemporary design thinking. The exhibition is open from December 12, 2025 through March 29, 2026 in Pécs, and it’s designed to speak to both design aficionados and curious newcomers. Expect signature pieces, conversations between eras, and moments where industrial design suddenly feels like sculpture.
Exclusive Tour with Judit Osvárt
On March 6, 2026, Judit Osvárt, editor-in-chief of ELLE Decoration, hosts an exclusive guided tour of Design Icons – Yesterday and Today. She brings a sharp eye for material, function, and cultural context, tying together how icons become iconic—and where the design world is heading now. If you want to decode the show’s highlights and get insider commentary, this is the slot to mark. Location: Pécs, within the Zsolnay Quarter.
Family Workshop: Make a Statement Bag
Creativity shifts gears on March 21, 2026, from 4:00–6:00 p.m. with Kortársék, a family-friendly series of maker sessions tied to the Design Icons exhibition. This edition is a bag workshop inspired by the spirit of contemporary fashion showcased in the third room—where the creators of the NUBU designer brand show how garments and accessories sit right on the edge of design and fine art. Participants will build bags with distinctive shapes and details—the kind you don’t see every day—leaning into bold design choices and hands-on techniques. It’s about experimenting, not playing it safe.
Stay in Style: Where to Sleep in Pécs
Make it a full art getaway with smart stays across the city. In the historic center, Adele Boutique Hotel Pécs is set in a protected 19th‑century building, blending period detail with crisp contemporary interiors for a polished, intimate vibe. Close by, the Barbakán Hotel sits behind Pécs Cathedral, offering 16 rooms (double, triple, or quad), plus a conference room and an underground garage—handy if you’re driving in.
For a hillside retreat with big views over Pécs and toward Zengő, head to Bagolyvár up on Havihegy. It’s all about folk-art charm: nineteen rooms decorated with motifs from Hungarian folk traditions, and six suite-like lodgings styled as wine presses, each channeling the mood of a famous Hungarian grape variety. The restaurant leans into Hungarian classics, old-school desserts included, with international dishes in the mix.
If you want that villa-district calm without losing city access, pick a family-run guesthouse on the Mecsek hillside. You’re five minutes from forest trails, just as close to the buzzing center, with the Zoo and Da Vinci private clinic nearby. The Mandulás area—the city’s favorite picnic-and-play zone with fire pits and playgrounds—is a short walk away, and trails lead up toward the TV tower. Groups can even book free guided hikes.
Boutique Hotel Sopianae keeps things central with a neat contrast: a heritage exterior wrapped around modern interior design. Service is personal and discreet, dialing up comfort without fuss. You’ll also find an apartment hotel a few minutes from the UNESCO World Heritage early Christian sites, the Cathedral, and the city’s museum-lined street, plus a renovated former convent of the Canonesses of Our Lady offering a fully modern hotel experience behind a baroque facade. Another downtown hotel sits in a quiet pocket just 500 m from the Knowledge Centre and the Kodály Zoltán (Zoltán Kodály) Concert Hall.
Eat and Drink: From Craft to Comfort
Fuel your gallery day with a stop at Angyali Kísértés Chocolaterie in Pécs for boxes of bonbons and homemade-style cakes. For big portions and a sprawling menu perfect for family dinners, celebrations, or a match on TV, there’s a lively local restaurant serving everything from breaded and grilled meats to stuffed specialties, brassói, fish dishes, oven bakes, risottos, classic pastas, flatbreads, and a long pizza list—plus salads, soups, and desserts.
In the city center, another spot sticks to the fundamentals of Hungarian cuisine—reliable quality, fair prices, and a daily changing set menu. Breakfast starts at 8 a.m. with foamy coffee, sandwiches, house-made pogácsa, and hand-stretched strudel. They also handle standing receptions and small events on- or off-site.
Aranykacsa Restaurant (Aranykacsa Étterem) focuses on local ingredients and modern technique, pairing food and wine culture across several spaces: Vinárium for tastings; Tüke room for everyday drinks and meals; Zsolnay room for family or protocol dining; and the upstairs Dakk room and garden for weddings, banquets, and birthdays. Over at Bagolyvár, soak up the panorama along with a Hungarian-forward menu and sweets that nod to culinary history.
Craving bistro comfort near the Balkans’ gateway? Find a laid-back kitchen cooking fresh, homestyle plates with great ingredients at honest prices. The Big Bell Restaurant doubles down on beer with a small-scale show brewery and a beer garden, while Bohemia Beer Kitchen (Bohemia Sörkonyha) in the center is your Beer–Burger–BBQ trifecta. On weekdays, Borostyán Gyorsétterem on Király Street runs Monday–Friday from 11:00 to 16:00, focusing on quality, affordable lunches. And PAULUS shifts character throughout the day: a café in the morning, a self-service restaurant at noon, and a pub by evening—plus regular events to keep it lively.
Plan Ahead
Dates and programs may change. Always check the latest schedule before you go.
