3 Best Sights in Pécs, Hungary

Situated in a serene little park in front of Pécsi Bazilika, this subterranean museum—and UNESCO World Heritage site—is home to a series of burial chambers, many with remarkably well-preserved religious murals. The burial site dates back to when Pécs was a Roman outpost called Sopianae, though it was located just outside the city walls (as was the custom). Today, the excavated crypts are linked with a series of suspended metal walkways to help preserve them from damage. Two are of particular note: the beautifully decorated Wine Pitcher Burial Chamber, with its paintings of vines and drinking vessels (best seen from above); and the chapel-like Peter and Paul Burial Chamber, covered in Christian symbols and colorful frescoes (best seen from below).

A "Time Traveler" ticket also gets you into the nearby Early Christian Mausoleum, a tomb with stunning murals of Adam and Eve, Daniel in the Lion's Den, and the Resurrection, as well as the Medieval University.

Crowning the city's main square, Széchenyi tér, this delightful 16th-century Turkish mosque-turned-church is a Pécs landmark. Dating from the years of Turkish occupation (1543–1686) when it was known as the Mosque of Pasha Qasim, the building was converted into a Catholic church in 1702; a fact you might infer from the cross that surmounts the gilded crescent atop the dome. Despite the fierce religious war raging on its walls—Christian statuary and frescoes beneath Turkish arcades and mihrabs (prayer niches)—this church remains the largest and finest relic of Turkish architecture in Hungary. Look out in particular for the enormous painting above the gallery, showing the defeat of the Turks: while triumphalist, the defeated soldiers are depicted rather sympathetically.

You can easily spend half a day exploring this sprawling complex, a city within a city that was opened in 2010 to mark Pécs's status as European Capital of Culture. Built on the site of the old Zsolnay porcelain factory, which was established by Miklós Zsolnay in the 19th century, the streets and squares are adorned with a host of colorful ceramic-tiled features, from industrial chimneys to charming pavilions. Many of the buildings are home to Zsolnay-related exhibits, including the Pink Exhibition, showcasing the factory's early rose-tinted output like the decorative Lotus series; the Golden Age Collection, a series of more than 600 pieces revealing Zsolnay's evolution towards the Art Nouveau style; and the Live Manufactory, where brand-new ceramic creations are molded, painted, and fired. The quarter also has a shopping street, some excellent cafés and restaurants, and even rental apartments. As well as Zsolnay exhibits, it's home to 1861 Kesztyűmanufaktúra, the factory, shop, and exhibition space of luxury glove brand Hamerli; the Bóbita Bábszínház (Bóbita Puppet Theater); and a Planetárium. Head to the cigar room of the Zsolnay Restaurant to see one of Zsolnay's most beautiful and innovative creations; a gorgeous black-and-gold fireplace.