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Pécs region for Families - 2 days

Pécs region
How long it takes?
2 Days
Best vehicle choice for this plan:
bicycle
public transport
bus
This region is famous for:
World Heritage Sites
Museums and exhibitions
Culture and monuments
Zoos
Pécs region
Families
Day 1

The Zsolnay Quarter

The best place to exploring the Cultural Capital is the ‘miniature town’, built on the site of what was once the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory, in the Zsolnay Quarter, the cultural centre of Pécs. The Quarter is paradise for families, because it has so many fun attractions that children will enjoy just as much as the grown-ups. Take a pleasant walk through the street dedicated to shops selling handmade products, then briefly stop at the Bóbita Puppet Theatre. The puppet theatre, which is almost 60 years old, offers exciting and unique shows, but you can also take part in one of the puppet-making workshops. There is a café in the building, where you can sit down and rest before continuing an exciting day. Then head to the planetarium and on the way, try the fun outdoor toys. The very first optical planetarium of the country takes you on a journey through time and helps you discover the universe. And there is more to see here for kids who are interested in the sciences. Check out the most super-awesome physics class in the entire Quarter and experiment with sounds, collisions and liquid nitrogen. Once you have had your fun in the Quarter, head for the town centre.

The sightseeing Dotto train

If you prefer to take your tours with a ‘professional’, just hop on to the little sightseeing train on wheels and listen carefully. The Dotto train is genuinely local and may even know things that people from Pécs may not be aware of. It takes you around Pécs in 50 minutes, and during your journey you’ll meet many smiling and waving locals, as well as covering a large part of the town: the tour starts on the main square and runs up to the Zsolnay Quarter through the narrow streets so typical of Pécs, and some busy roads as well. If you are lucky enough, the driver will even ‘drift’ the train to entertain young passengers. The train on wheels operates every day between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and leaves on the hour every hour from right in front of the Nagy Lajos Secondary Grammar School, returning to the same place. The terminus could not be in a better place, since from here you can start your trip around Pécs and discover the city’s World Heritage relics. As you pass through Káptalan utca, you will see one of the favourite sights of the people of Pécs, the first padlock fence in the country. There are only legends about how it came into being in Pécs and no-one knows anything for sure, but what we do know is that every local youngster and their love put a padlock on the fence. End the day with a visit to the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre, which is not far from here. The ancient tombs, which are protected as World Heritage sites, are one of the most important places in Pécs. Don’t worry if the city tour lasts into the night: the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre offers exciting night-time guided tours that the kids will love.

Day 2

Craft Shops, exhibitions and museums for Kids

There are bound to be some places you still haven’t explored in the Zsolnay Quarter. So why not go to the street of Craft Shops and take part in some ‘compulsory’ chocolate tasting in the Csoko-láda Chocolate Shop, where even the flower vases and lollies are made of chocolate. But this is not all the sweetness that you will experience here, since you can also visit the Nosztalgia Cukorka Látványmanufaktúra, the home of traditional handmade sweets. The ‘candy-man’ of the Quarter is Gyula Kovács, one of the few Hungarian artisanal candy-makers who is truly dedicated to their craft. Visitors can watch how they are made and, of course, can also taste the colourful sweets. Labor - Játechtér the gamers’ ‘palace of wonders’ offers half a day of fun for gaming fans: you can try everything from Nintendo to state-of-the-art technology. Gamers could spend days in here, using and testing computers, consoles, kinect devices, Xboxes and simulators. You can even take part in giant-screen arcade tournaments. The place is not only designed to entertain players, but anyone who is interested in how these devices have evolved. Visit the technology history exhibition to see some interesting items of consumer entertainment electronics and the evolution of 3D graphics, starting from the primitive animation of the first games through visual effects to 3-dimensional imaging. Attention visitors! You are kindly asked to touch all the exhibits in the museum.

The Pécs Zoo

The second half of the day promises just as much as the first. We are off to Pécs Zoo, where fun is guaranteed for everyone from the little ones to grown-ups. If you have a baby and use a pram or a pushchair, just follow the specially designed obstacle-free route around the zoo, or if you want to, you can even rent a baby carrier at the entrance. Keep your eyes open when you get to the mantled guereza house, since a snow white baby was recently born to one of the mothers in the Pécs group. The llama herd also has a new member, a dark black crias born to multi-coloured parents. Even if you miss one of the guided tours through the zoo, there are plenty of information boards that will make your visit a truly exciting and interesting experience. After a long walk around the zoo, enjoy a fine meal at the on-site restaurant, which also has a baby changing room and a souvenir shop.

 

During your visit

Wine

People from Baranya county will claim that their land produces the best wines in the world. Though you cannot persuade them otherwise, you should definitely try the wines! For instance, the internationally recognised Villányi Portugieser, a variant of which is matured in new barrels and is tapped at the St Martin’s day wine festival. Villányi Franc is another must-taste wine. The Villány wine region seems to be the natural habitat of Cabernet franc, and a premium quality wine is produced here.

Wine

Wild garlic is a very healthy and tasty spice. Locals love the aromatic leaves and in season, they are literally used in everything. The ‘wild garlic ice cream’ might not be to your taste, but cream soup is a popular dish in most restaurants in the town. Swabian communities moved to the region in the 18th century, bringing some excellent recipes with them, such as ‘sufnudli’ (potato dumplings with poppy seeds), and the plum jam you can try in many places in Pécs.

Move around like a hungarian