Paks is situated 120 km south of Budapest, on the bank of the Danube. According to the sources there are several versions to explain where the name of the town comes from, but most probably, the inhabitants were not named after the village, just the opposite, the locals gave the name to the village. The tithes were collected in Paks by Lőrinc Pakus in 1333, and by András Pakus in 1334. They can be considered to be the first bearing the name Paksi, as the members of the Paksy family started to use this name only half a century later. The settlement of 20,000 inhabitants was given the rank of town in 1979. The town started to develop in parallel with the construction of the nuclear plant. Arriving in the town from the north, first you can find the Roman fortress Lussonium in Dunakömlőd. In Paks sights include the former Hotel Elizabeth built around 1840, the former Mádi-Kovács mansion, which houses the Town Museum today. The museum building and the exhibitions are both worth visiting. After a short walk you can get to the Jesus’ Heart Great Church built in 1901. At the foot of the building you can find a row of bazaars, which is still functioning. It is worth looking around in this part of the town, in the old town centre, as you can see a number of monument buildings under local protection, and here you can find the Roman Catholic, the Calvinist and the Lutheran churches next to one another. Another monument building of Paks is the house where Ferenc Deák, "the wise man of the country" spent some days when he stayed in the town. The Holy Spirit church, which was designed by Imre Makovecz and dedicated in 1989, has become a symbol of Paks. Apart from its monuments, the town is proud of its nationally and internationally famous athletes. The town puts special emphasis on the training of the juniors. Outstanding cultural programmes include the German Nationality Day followed by the Whitsun Festival, the nationally famous Gastroblues Festival in June and the series of events called Family Days on the bank of the Danube in July and August attracting thousands of visitors. In Paks you must not miss the Information and Visitor Centre, which has thirty thousand visitors every year, the museum of the nuclear plant and the exhibition hall. Further information and publications about the town are available in the local Tourinform Office, in Dózsa György st. Tel.: (75) 421-575.

Dunakömlőd

The settlement with its 1,313 inhabitants lies 7 kms from Paks. The former terminus of the Paks railway has been transformed into a museum. The Saint Imre church was built in 1789. Here is one of the best fishermen's inns on the Danube.