Pécs

The first thing you need to know about doing a day trip to Pécs from Budapest is that you're going to get up early in the morning. And if you're not located in Budapest and have to first travel there to meet travel buddies, you're going to to get up even earlier. And it's still late winter/early spring... you're probably going to see the sun rise. So at least there's that!

The Pécs train station. Jen and I headed out from Keleti train station bright and early and arrived in Pécs by mid-morning. We just kind of used common sense and some street signs to help us find our way to the city center. It was a seriously beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and not too cold.

 Modern sculpture, old streets.

   Széchenyi square, the town center, from top: the Mosque of Pasha Qasim, the Pécs county house and some interesting architectural details, and the giant, hilariously anatomically correct horse of  János Hunyadi. I'm not sure where the rider was, although guessing by the fencing and seemingly restorative work being done, I'm guessing he was taken elsewhere to spruce up. Also in the background of the last photo, the Fatebenefratelli Church.

 Town Hall.

 Synagogue, another square.

 In case your children, while eating their fagyi (ice cream) also demand to undergo metamorphosis to become such. Also, a duck holding some pink ice cream?

 I forget, this is either the post office or postal system museum. Either way... Pécs is not playing around with this building.

 Clock...tower...from...something...

Pécs's other famous mosque, the Jakovali Hassan Mosque. This one has not maintained quite the scenic positioning as the Pasha Qasim, it's basically stuck in the courtyard of a hospital. We ventured inside to see the mosque from a better angle and in the process got an earful of someone whom I'm pretty sure was coughing up his lower intestines. YIKES. Sorry, guy. Sorry, Jakovali Hassan.

The entrance to Barbakan tower, which is from the 15th century.

From inside the courtyard.

From outside.

BEHOLD: HUNGARY.

 This is not anything really special, just this quiet little yard about 5 feet below street level, located next to the Barbakan. I took a picture though because it look so peaceful and beautiful, I honestly wanted to come back with a picnic basket and a good book and spend an afternoon in there.

  

 The Pécs Cathedral, and the square/statue in front of it.

Ferenc Liszt. Kind of a BFD 'round these parts.

 Under the cathedral.

 There was a reason for why people threw their keys down into this grate... uuuunfortunately because I procrastinated for 4 months before writing this blog post, I no longer remember.

 Sarcophagus.

 Necropolis of Sopianae and Cella Septichora! Super old Christian stuff.

 Ice cream! Which promptly started melting/flying away and onto innocent bystanders, very embarrassing!

Cool manhole cover, Pécs. Well done.

 The National Theater.

 Interesting fountain.

 And that's it! A nice day spent exploring a historically interesting and charming city in southern Hungary.