Mohács: Busójárás, Culture and History

Mohács combines a distinctive winter festival with insights into the city’s ethnographic diversity and memorial sites commemorating the Battle of 1526. There is also traditional craftsmanship and a mill that uses millstones. You can explore these attractions according to your interests: from the carnival and its masks to exhibitions and the history of the region.

Busójárás and Craftsmanship in Mohács

Busójárás in Mohács is a six-day carnival held at the end of February to celebrate the end of winter. If you are interested in the tradition and its crafts, the Busóudvar in central Mohács offers more ways to explore the subject: there are activities in mask carving, making Busó costumes, and a ceramics workshop. An exhibition is open year-round. The workshop activities and the year-round exhibition are separate ways to learn about the tradition.

The timing of the carnival is another useful point to consider when planning your trip: the festival takes place at the end of February, while the exhibition is open all year. When looking for a holiday apartment in Mohács, focus on what matters to you—the six-day carnival or the exhibition, which is available throughout the year.

Exhibitions, a Mill and the Memory of 1526

The Kanizsai Dorottya Múzeum presents a permanent exhibition on the ethnographic diversity of Mohács. This offers a different way to experience the city than Busójárás: rather than a carnival held at a specific time, the focus here is on a permanent exhibition. At the Szent Miklós vízimalom, grain is ground using millstones, preserving medieval levels of technology. The museum and mill offer different perspectives: ethnographic diversity at the former and traditional milling techniques at the latter.

Near Mohács, the cemetery at the Mohácsi Nemzeti Történelmi Emlékhely commemorates the Battle of 1526. The memorial site is located on the battlefield and is currently temporarily closed during reconstruction. This provides clear context for the site’s historical significance, even though it cannot currently be visited. If you are looking for a holiday apartment with a focus on exploring Mohács itself, the carnival, museum and mill offer different themes within the destination; the memorial site is in the surrounding area.

Culture and Nature in the Wider Destination of Baranya

The wider destination of Baranya also offers distinctive cultural and nature-related attractions. In Pécs, the Early Christian Necropolis of Sopianae includes decorated tombs dating from the 4th century. They were built as underground burial chambers with above-ground memorial chapels and adorned with richly detailed Christian wall paintings. The combination of underground chambers, above-ground chapels and wall paintings makes the site architecturally complex.

The Zsolnay Cultural Quarter is also in Pécs. Its exhibitions include Golden Age of Zsolnay, the Pink Exhibition, and an exhibition on the history of the family and factory. Activities for children include outdoor playgrounds, an interactive lab, a planetarium, the Bóbita Puppet Theatre, a ceramics painting workshop and classes at the Hercules Workshop. Families visiting the wider destination of Baranya can therefore enjoy not only exhibitions but also several activities specifically designed for children. The Cultural Quarter’s freely accessible outdoor area is free to enter and use during opening hours; check the opening hours before your visit.

Near Szaporca, the Ős-Dráva Visitor Centre offers an interactive exhibition, a demonstration farm where visitors can take part in practical farming activities, and three themed trails. These introduce visitors to traditional agriculture, the Ős-Dráva Programme and wildlife along the Drava. The agricultural area features native Hungarian domestic animals, including Hungarian Grey cattle, Mangalica pigs, Hucul horses, and old breeds of sheep and poultry. The wilderness trail along the Old Drava also has a birdwatching and bird-ringing station, a lookout point, a photography hide, a covered activity area and several rest stops.

Other cultural attractions in Baranya include Siklós Castle and the Nagyharsány Sculpture Park. The castle is considered one of Hungary’s best-preserved military complexes and one of the country’s most significant Renaissance buildings. Modernisation of the museum wing opened the previously inaccessible Gothic section to visitors. At the Nagyharsány Sculpture Park, the Art in Nature programme includes a guided tour. In Villány, you can visit the wine cellars all year round, going from one cellar to the next to sample wines and food. Baranya’s attractions therefore differ from Mohács’s carnival, museum and mill, expanding the options to include architecture, art, nature and regional tastings.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Dunaszekcső, Majs, Monyoród, Véménd, Görcsönydoboka, Bár, Palotabozsok, Somberek.

To the main travel overview: Mohácsi.