The visitors of this part of Hungary find a varied landscape in the region inhabited by friendly people. They can see here practically all the topographical variants characteristic of Hungary. The rivers Danube, Dráva and Mura which border it in the east and the south are flanked by low- land-type flat stretches. A most characteristic feature of the Pannonian region, the gently rolling hills with their forest-clad ridges and articulated by valleys, constitute a typical Transdanubian landscape. The picture can only be complete with the Mecsek and Villány Mountains, two alpine "islands", favourite venues for nature lovers attracted by the precious and protected botanical rarities.

The tiny villages in the hills carefully guard their rich traditions. Each settlement and smaller geographical unit has preserved different traditions. Whether in folk architecture, folk costumes and customs or in the many relics of traditional peasant life, they offer a treasure-trove for the visitor interested in the values of the past. The quiet villages started opening their doors to guests quite a long time ago. They had already practised the village kind of hospitality long before the phrase village tourism was coined.

The varied character of the region, the settlement network of tiny villages were conducive to the preservation of traditions. There was lot to preserve indeed, as between the hills and the river branches there are several diverse smaller ethnographic units, such as Ormánság, Zselicség, Sárköz, the Sió valley and the Völgység.

The many-faceted and varied rural cultural features are further enriched by the living traditions of the ethnic communities living here. Tolna and Baranya Counties boast of German traditions. Along the Dráva and the lower stretches of the Danube, a distinct South Slav influence is to be felt. The storms of the Second World War also led Székelys to some villages of Tolna and Baranya Counties.

The noted venues, the towns which offer a wide choice of architectural milestones and cultural programmes, with Pécs, a gem of the region, at the lead, open their gates wide before visitors seeking the centuries-old relics of the past or the colourful bustle of the present. The historic sites, the museums, medieval fortresses, casties surrounded by natural parks evoke Hungary's turbulent history and make its many events palpably comprehensible for everyone. Rural life in this region has preserved a specific charm, a living contact with nature, silence and peace, close human relationships, joie de vivre and serenity. Here even clocks tick slower-there is time for meditation, wonderment and filling up with energy.

South of the bustle of Lake Balaton, this region offers all this, and a lot more. This is an area, in between the Danube, the Dráva and the Mura, where the number of sunshine hours is the highest in the country, and where the sub-mediterranean southern and the Atlantic western features meet.  

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