Pécs (Croatian Pečuh, German Fünfkirchen, Slovak Päťkostolie, Turkish Peçuy) is one of the five largest cities of Hungary, located in the south-west of the country. It was known in the past by the German name Fünfkirchen; the Romans called it Sopianae.

Pécs is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county. Approximately 200 km south of the capital Budapest. 160,000 people live in Pécs. Located in the midst of an agricultural area, it is the natural hub of local products. Until some years ago, it had a coal-mine and even a Uranium-mine. Several factories exist, but since the fall of the Iron Curtain - those have mostly not managed the transition. It does have a quite famous porcelain factory - The Zsolnay Porcelain - which has a special greenish colour - called "eozin". The local McDonald's has a wall decor which includes Zsolnay Porcelain.

The University of Pécs was founded by Louis I of Hungary in 1367. It is the oldest university of Hungary. It is divided up in two Universities, one for Medicine and Odontology (http://www.pote.hu/ http://www.pote.hu/ ) and one larger one for the other studies - this being the JPTE (Janus Panonius Egyetem). The POTE part has a large English program. With students from America, Asia, and European countries (large Scandinavian contingent).

Pécs was not damaged during WW2, even though a large tank-battle took place 20-25 km south of the town close to the Villányi area late in WW2, when the advancing Red Army fought its way towards Austria.

External links

• Official homepage http://www.pecs.hu/english/index.php
• Wikitravel: Pécs http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Pecs

Counties in Hungary
Counties: Bács-Kiskun | Baranya | Békés | Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén | Csongrád | Fejér | Győr-Moson-Sopron | Hajdú-Bihar | Heves | Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok | Komárom-Esztergom | Nógrád | Pest | Somogy | Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg | Tolna | Vas | Veszprém | Zala
Capital: (usually treated as the 20th county) Budapest
Urban counties: Békéscsaba | Debrecen | Dunaújváros | Eger | Győr | Hódmezővásárhely | Kaposvár | Kecskemét | Miskolc | Nagykanizsa | Nyíregyháza | Pécs | Sopron | Szeged | Székesfehérvár | Szolnok | Szombathely | Tatabánya | Veszprém | Zalaegerszeg
See also: List of historic counties of Hungary