Pécs Cathedral: Visiting the Tower, Crypt and Interior

Pécs Cathedral, also known as the Basilica of Pécs, is one of the city’s top tourist attractions and well worth visiting. The Cathedral’s grounds are free to enter, and it’s lovely to see the building up close. The four towers look special from the outside.

To go inside, it costs a small fee to see the decorative features and climb the tower.

Pécs Cathedral History

Pécs Cathedral is built on the foundations of an early Roman basilica dating to the 4th century. The cathedral has an interesting history dating back to the 9th century. In 1064, a fire destroyed the original Gothic basilica. A replacement Romanesque building was built in the 12th century.

Interestingly, the Ottomans converted it into a mosque while this part of Hungary was under Ottoman rule. When the Ottomans were defeated, it became a church again. They have remodelled and renovated it many times since then.

The current cathedral has a neo-Romanesque appearance. The current church is 70 metres long and 22 metres wide; the tallest part of the building, the towers, is 60 metres tall.

What to See for Free Outside Pécs Cathedral

Take Photos From Szent István tér

Szent István tér is a beautiful garden with lots of flowers and views of the building. It’s also a peaceful place to sit and reflect or to enjoy a bakery lunch before entering.

Statues of the Apostles – Vándorló Apostolok

On the church roof are statues of the 12 apostles. These are not the originals; they are in a covered area on the grounds. Next to the palace is Vándorló Apostolok, a place where they store the sculptures of the 12 apostles.

They display these in a portico. There are various information boards to learn more about the stone statues. These statues needed protection from the weather; hence their removal from the cathedral roof.

What to See Inside Pécs Cathedral

The interior is nicely decorated, with lots of features. On entering, you get a laminated information sheet about the site’s history and architecture, which is handy. They have these in many languages, including the English version that I read.

The Nave

In the nave of the cathedral, you can see all the features and decoration inside. From here you can view the high altar, the pillars and the organ. This area also has rows of pews to sit in and read the information leaflets, pray or reflect.

Climb the Tower

A highlight of a visit to the cathedral is to climb the tower and see the bells and views of the city from above.

The views from the cathedral’s tower are fantastic and a way to see the other towers and apostle statues. Note: it can get windy at the top.

The cathedral towers are roughly 60 metres tall, so it is a decent climb up the stairs. The stairway is easy to navigate, as it’s not as narrow as the other towers I’ve climbed.

At the top of the tower, there is a metal plan/map of the cathedral to highlight the points of interest from the viewpoint. I highly recommend visiting on a blue-sky day to fully enjoy the views.

Chapel of Mary

The Chapel of Mary is decorative and also has some statues and monuments.

Chapel of the Sacred Heart

Another nice feature is the Chapel of the Sacred Heart. During the late 19th-century reconstruction, they redecorated this chapel.

The frescoes in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart represent events in the life of Jesus. This includes the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, and the Mount of Olives.

The Crypt

The five-nave crypt is the biggest one in Hungary. The original function of the crypt is unclear; however, the first stones stood here in Roman times.

To enter the crypt, you head down the steps to the left of the high altar into an underground room. The stairway is beautiful, and once you reach the crypt, it certainly isn’t what I was expecting.

The frescoes of the crypt were painted by Károly Lotz, Bertalan Székely, and Gustav Bamberg.

Inside, there are various decorative tombs, three apses and a main altar.

Tickets & Information

On my two visits to Pécs Cathedral, gaining entry was straightforward. There is a main entrance, and just next to this is a ticket office. They accept both cash and cards for payment. You can also purchase multi-entry tickets that allow you to enter some of the city’s other attractions. You can find out prices on their website.

Unfortunately for Henry, they don’t allow dogs inside. They have a handy rule board near the door that includes the usual suspects, like no food, drink, or roller skates.