Photogallery of Pecs, Hungary

Some places in the world are very hard to abandon. You want to visit them again and again. The enchanting city of Pecs in Hungary is one of such settlements. There is a tradition of throwing a coin in the fountain or touching a sculpture before leaving in order to return to the place that you like again. In Pecs, this tradition is slightly different – tourists hang locks and throw the keys as far as they can so no one can find them. There is a simple explanation for such an appeal to this Hungarian city. Pecs is an old city with a rich heritage and numerous architectural landmarks. This Hungarian city was founded approximately two thousand years ago. However, archaeological excavations prove that there was a Celtic settlement on this site long before our age. The city had another name during the Roman period – Sopianae. When the Roman Empire fell, barbaric tribes and then the Avars invaded the region. Starting from the 11th century, Pecs turned into one of the leading Hungarian centers and a bishop’s residence. In 1526, during the Battle of Mohács, the Turkish army captured and plundered the city. Seventeen years later, the Ottomans became the new rulers in Pecs. All churches in the city were transformed into mosques. Pecs was finally liberated from the Turkish rule in 1686. Soon after that, the city joined the Habsburg Empire. This is when Slavs and Germans started settling in the area. The Serbian Army captured Pecs during World War I. The decade after the … Read further