Misina and what lies behind it (PICK Burgundy circular route)

Itinerary

• From the Dömörkapu bus turning point, we walk along the S▲ marking to the Flóra Resting Place, then return along the same path.
• On the far side of the bus turning point, turn right and continue along the P marking, which we follow up to the Kantavári Spring junction.
• Take a detour to the Kantavári Spring along the P+ marking, then return to the junction.
• From the junction, follow the S● marking uphill.
• At a junction, turn right onto the S+ marking and follow it to the road junction beneath Tubes.
• Climb up to Tubes on the S marking.
• From Tubes, follow the P+ marking downhill to the Rotary promenade (first junction).
• Turn left onto the S↺ marking to the Rotary promenade, which we follow to the ridge.
• At the ridge, turn left onto the S marking.
• At the second junction, turn left onto the S▲ marking, taking a detour to Kis-Tubes, and return to the ridge via the other branch.
• Turn right onto the S marking and follow it to Misina.
• Walk past the TetőPont building toward the TV tower, then return from the same spot.
• Descend back to Dömörkapu on the S marking.

Detailed description of the tour

At the foot of Misina

Small stations go with small railways: from the modest, forest-rest-like small train station, a track of only 570 meters leads to the zoo. Traffic has been running on the rails since 1962, at that time connecting the zoo with the now-defunct Dömörkapu amusement park. Turning our back to the station, we cross the bus turning point to follow the S▲ marked path in the pine forest corridor leading to the Flóra Resting Place. From the covered terrace of the stout stone structure and the promenade in front, there are views to the dark hollow of the Karolina open pit, the central section of the Mecsek, and the large mountain blocks of the Eastern Mecsek. A shelter pavilion was built here by the Mecsek Association at the end of the 19th century, replaced by the currently standing building in 1911. It remained within the family: its name commemorates the wife of the idea originator, mother of the donating sibling pair.

Turning back, it is worth visiting the clearing of the Bertalan Rock, where we can also enjoy the panorama from a small swing. This time, walk through the Dömörkapu turning point to the far side to take the right at the P marking, which will guide us for a long time along the northern side of Misina. We cross the steep slope of the mountain on a roughly level path, with patches of young trees opening views to the central ridges of the mountain range. We also cross the ski slope, serving Pécs residents since the late 1950s, with the TV tower in the background signaling that we are not far below the ridge. Shortly after, we walk through the forest-enclosed clearing of Kis-rét, richly equipped with a rain shelter, benches, tables, and fire pits.

In the heyday of Pécs ski sports, Kis-rét played a central role; it was not only the end of a downhill slope but also had a ski jump on the adjacent slope. Now we leave the sheltered nook in dense forest, crossing a slightly rising transport road, the least interesting part of the route, heading to the Lamp Valley chapter. It got its name because, according to legend, locals used to visit the valley for coal even at night by lamplight. Here rises the peak supporting Kantavár, where remains of a 13th-century residential tower (refuge castle) lie beside the trenches.

Climbing to the ridge

The next junction is marked by large pines; it is worth descending right from them on the P+ marking to the Kantavári Spring. There, a rain shelter, bench and table set, and the sound of a babbling stream help gather strength for the long climb ahead. (In the early 20th century, a shelter hut stood here since this was one of the most important connecting routes between Pécs and Mánfa.) Returning to the junction, our tour continues along a stairway under the pines on the S● marking. This section, a small valley with a bench at one point, evokes the more mountainous character of the Mecsek beyond the park forests but does not last long. We arrive at a junction and proceed straight ahead, now with a gentler ascent with hairpin turns breaking the slope. At the second such bend, turn right onto the S+ marking, a wide forestry road mostly level, leading to the Mecsekhát road.

We reach the paved road at the resting place named after the late forest engineer Pista bácsi, follow it briefly, then continue parallel on a narrow path. After a few minutes, we step onto the asphalt again, at a hairpin where the Millennium Monument commemorating the 1100th anniversary of the Hungarian conquest stands, symbolizing the alliance of the seven tribes by using the seven constituent rocks of the mountain range. Previously, the Lapisi hunting lodge was located here until demolished by a Soviet tank in 1956.

Turn left onto the S marking, and on a steep stony road, wind up to Tubes, 611 m high. Once called Mecsek Peak, its current name comes from 'tuba,' meaning pigeon. The János lookout’s elegant yet massive tower can be climbed via a spiral staircase—the 2001 structure resembles its predecessor from nearly a hundred years earlier. From the upper level, a panoramic view opens to most of southern Transdanubia, from the Balaton witness hills to the Villány Hills, and the Papuk Mountains in Croatia beyond the Dráva plain often appear in the mist. The Orfű Pécsi Lake, the forested mass of Jakab Hill, the Misina TV tower, and the summits of the Eastern Mecsek are all part of the sights.

On the Mecsek promenades

Instead of the ridge, we continue along the mountainside here, where one of the most atmospheric paths in Mecsek runs—the Rotary promenade. Descend on the P+ marking starting from the lookout’s foot, and immediately experience the distinctive atmosphere of the southern slope: a mixed forest of crooked trees with a relatively loose structure, with rock benches on the ground. Arriving in a sunny, bright glade at the Rotary promenade, we turn left following the S↺ marking. Along the level and very charming path, benches stand, occasionally providing views toward Pécs. The namesake American organization advocates humanitarian principles and included a Pécs leather factory director whose donation made the promenade's creation possible on the 40th anniversary of the Mecsek Association’s founding.

Along the way, we pass crosses and memorial stones, with small info boards introducing the vegetation. We reach the ridge again and turn left onto the S marking. Briefly, we cross a special association, a summit forest where warmth-loving downy oak groves and shady, rocky beech woods species coexist. At two points, the S▲ marking invites left—we choose the second to walk out from under the foliage to the rocky grass slope, where the lookout terrace forming the balcony of Kis-Tubes awaits. Built at the end of the 1950s, this elevated bastion has views over Pécs, lying quite a bit below, and to the left the Misina is visible. Staying on the marking, we return to the ridge on its other branch forming a loop, where this time we continue right on the S marking.

At the gentle slope’s end, the promenade crosses the Misina road, and on the far side, by a narrow path and a short ascent, we reach the renewed building in 2023 (TetőPont). Behind it stands the TV tower, where you can visit Hungary’s highest building (total height 197 meters) panorama restaurant and observation deck. From above, the whole Mecsek and the Southern Transdanubia can be seen in clear weather. From the beginning of the 20th century, the first significant building of Mecsek nature tourists stood on the current tower site, the Kiss József Lookout named after the retiring association president, beside which was a restaurant—these functions moved to the new TV tower in the 1970s.

From the tower, walk back to the S marking, which is followed this time gently downhill on a straight forest path. We leave the building on the main ski slope and descend back to the Dömörkapu bus turn off on a pleasant path with canopy tunnels in places, the endpoint of the tour.