Pecs, Hungary
Tuesday - July 20, 2004

The Catacombs were cool... a welcome relief from the outside heat.

The Tater Tots


We traveled from Lake Balaton to Pecs, a rather large city in the southwest part of Hungary--- often called Transdanubia. The weather was scorching, around 95 Fahrenheit, with high humidity. The "heavenly glow" on our faces (above) was actually caused by the blast of heat that greeted us as we stepped off the bus.

At the University of Pecs, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the world, Dr. Andras Trocsanyi, Department of Human Geography and Urban Studies, gave us a brief overview of the history of Pecs. He shared a slide presentation of the city as he explained the economic challenges faced by the city over the years. Pecs is an ancient city, founded by the Romans in 100 BC

Like the other cities we've visited, Pecs has suffered losses through battles and sieges, but more recent events have caused the city to try to reinvent itself in order to remain viable. Sudden closure of mines in the 1980's left 20,000 people without jobs and was a contributing factor in mass migration from Pecs. War in nearby Croatia in the 1990's has made it difficult for Pecs to attract new businesses and promote tourism.
Our group enters the newly renovated entrance to the University of Pecs, founded in 1367.
Dr. Trocsanyi answers Lisa's questions following his presentation.

On a quick walking tour of the city center area, we observed evidence of the Pec's colorful (and sometimes dark) past. Buildings of note include the Turkish Mosque and Minaret (the northern most such combination found in Europe), the Catholic Bishop's Castle, and the Soviet style block buildings contrasting with the Art Nouveau style porcelain ornamentations of the Post Office.
16th century Turkish Mosque in Pecs

During a look inside the Basilica of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, we were fortunate to hear beautiful music played on the pipe organ (first played at the consecration of the Basilica in 1891). The music was of particular interest since we had just learned that Pecs is famous for its manufacturing of pipe organs. Ralph couldn't help humming along to the familiar hymns.

A
Cathedralaltar area.
 Massive pipe organ, manufactured in Pecs.


Researchers at the Basilica are uncovering Roman burial chambers dating from the 4th century. The wine pitcher above the double-floored sarcophagus of this crypt symbolizes the Eucharist. In December 2000, this early Christian cemetery was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During 19th century renovation activities, stone carvings by 12th Century masters were uncovered. These pieces are now on display at the entrance to the Dome Museum.

The Crypt of the Pitcher at Basilica in Pecs.


Some of us rode an elevator up the city's TV and radio tower to get a bird's eye view of the city. From here, we could see the deciduous forests (must be beautiful in the fall) and the ugly marks left by the abandoned coal mine. Looking towards the city we spied a lone "skyscraper." Dr. Trocsanyi explained that this building is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the "tallest uninhabited building." It was built in 1979 and declared uninhabitable in 1989. According to Dr. Trocsanyi, the building plan was good, but the implementation was not. The University of Pecs purchased the building for one Forint, less than a penny, speculating that it might have possible use as student housing (presumably after architectural fortification).

Abandoned coal/uranium mine near Pecs.
View of Pecs from communications tower.


After the day's travel, we ended up at Racz Horse Ranch, on the northwest side of the Mecsek Mountains. The resort had a comfortable family atmosphere with recreational opportunities such as horseback riding, swimming, ping-pong, and racquetball.

 

After a wonderful dinner of fried pork, French fries and of course ice cream, a few of us went for an evening dip in the pool where Debbie admitted to being part of a synchronized swimming team in college. After pointing our toes (Laszlo, too), holding our breath and swimming backwards, we soon found out that it's a lot harder than it looks.

 

A few good laughs later, we headed to the sauna where we demonstrated for Laszlo the meaning of the American phrase "sweating like a pig." This started a whole new conversation about other expressions such as "hog heaven" and "hog on ice."
A little horse (hotel mascot?) greets us as we checked in.
A view of the outside café and surrounding hills.
Debbie demonstrated her pointed toe move.