Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 367

cave, you'll be astounded by the magical subterranean world of stalactites, stalagmites,
and other bizarre formations. Three different guided tours—appropriately called short
(rövid), which is 1 or 2 hours long; medium (közép), which is 5 hours long; and long
(hosszú), which is 7 hours long—depart at different times throughout the day.
The Hotel Cseppk ó ( & 48/343-075 ), in the village of Aggtelek, is a popular place
to crash after a day in the caves. Double rooms start at 8,400 Ft ($36/£22), breakfast
included. Though it's nothing to write home about, the Cseppk ó is clean and conve-
niently located. Camping is also popular in the area.
Travelers without cars can get to Aggtelek by bus from Eger. The trip takes 3 hours.
From Miskolc, the trip takes 2 hours. Ask about transportation at the local tourist
office (such as Eger's Tourinform or Egertourist), where you can also ask for help book-
ing a room in the Hotel Cseppk ó . Off season there is no need to book in advance.
7 Southern Hungary
The mainly agricultural region of the Alföld (Great Plain), including the last remnants
of the Puszta, Hungary's prairie, lies south and east of the Danube River. The main
cities here are Kecskemét and Szeged. The Great Plain comprises approximately 51,800
sq. km (20,000 sq. miles). On the other side of the river, in southwestern Hungary, are
the verdant Mecsek Hills. The city of Pécs is the focal point of this hilly region.
THE 2,000-YEAR-OLD CITY OF PÉCS
197km (123 miles) SW of Budapest
Pécs (pronounced Paych ) is a delightful, exuberant place, the largest and loveliest city
in the Mecsek Hill region. Situated 32km (20 miles) or so from the Croatian border,
the city enjoys a particularly warm and arid climate; in fact, the rolling hills around
Pécs are the source of some of Hungary's finest fresh fruit. Few places in Hungary pos-
sess a more Mediterranean quality than Pécs, the city that was recently named to share
the title of Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010.
Known as the “2,000-year-old city,” Pécs was a major settlement in Roman times,
when it was called Sopianae. It was later the site of Hungary's first university, founded
in 1367. While that university no longer exists, Pécs remains one of the country's most
important centers of learning. The city's present university, Janus Pannonius Univer-
sity (named for a local ecclesiastical poet of the 15th c.) was moved here from
Bratislava after that city (known as Pozsony to Hungarians) was allocated to Czecho-
slovakia when Czechoslovakia was created after World War I.
Pécs thrived during the almost-150-year Turkish occupation, and reminders of this
period fill the city. Although Pécs (like much of Hungary) was almost completely
destroyed during the bloody liberation battles between the Ottoman and Christian
armies, what did survive—particularly the Mosque of Pasha Gazi Kassim—may well
be the best examples of Turkish architecture in the country.
The people of Pécs are proud of their city. If you travel just a block or two outside
the historic core, you'll see that the city is booming: People throng the shops and
streets, and buses thunder past in every direction. Pécs is a city on the move. It exhibits
none of the torpor you might notice on a hot summer afternoon in Great Plain towns
like Kecskemét or Szeged.
If you walk up Janus Pannonius utca toward Széchenyi tér, about a block up the
street, you'll notice on your left a small metal fence covered with padlocks. Young lovers
visiting Pécs have left these locks as a token of their desire to live in this beautiful city.