Stories of Pécs on the side of Misina

Itinerary:

• From Dömörkapu follow the S trail, then continue straight on the S▲ marking to make a detour to the Flóra Rest viewpoint.
• Return, and from Dömörkapu turn right, descend into the Lámpás Valley following the P◼ sign, which we continue to follow there.
• Turn right on the P+ sign towards the Kantavári Springs.
• At the fork after the springs, turn left onto the P trail, from which we turn left again to make a detour to Kantavár on the PL marking.
• Return to the fork by the springs, then turn left and continue on the S● trail.
• Follow the S+ marking straight on.
• Turn right onto the S▲ marking, which we follow up to the buildings of Misina.
• Descend from Misina to Dömörkapu following the S trail on the left.

Detailed tour description:

The Gloves Maker's Pavilion

Start from the bus stop at the parking lot next to the old amusement park entrance. The name Dömörkapu supposedly dates back to the Turkish era: the "demer gate" means iron gate, possibly referring to the rocky shoulder forming a passage here. The 20th century saw a lively tourist life here, remembered by the revitalized miniature railway between the zoo and Dömörkapu, just under a kilometer long. The amusement park operated for half a century from the early 1960s; now only the concrete foundations remain in the black pine grove. One of the first tourist houses of the Mecsek Association was built here, now operating under the name Hotel Mediterrán, just a few hundred meters below us.

Before heading toward the former tourist house, we take an instructive detour to Flóra Rest, a covered pavilion built on a natural viewpoint by the old amusement park in a pine forest, initially following the S, then the S▲ trail. A short few minutes' walk leads to a pavilion commemorating the wife of the former gloves maker. At this spot, at the end of the 19th century, a pavilion was built from a donation by an entrepreneur who laid down Pécs's first water pipeline, which collapsed by the early 20th century. The pavilion was restored as a stone monument by the sons of János Hamerli, the gloves factory founder and owner, who named it Flóra Rest in memory of their mother. The current building was renovated in the 2000s, combining elements of the two earlier structures. From the rest area and walkway, we have a view over the central and eastern forests of Mecsek, but also notice the landscape scar beneath us: a huge crater opening into the mountain interior. This is the Karolina reclamation area below the Pécsbánya district, a large lifeless pit remaining from the former coal mine, sharply contrasting with the surrounding forested terrain.

Flickering Lamps Following the Coal

We return to Dömörkapu and follow the asphalt road heading toward the former refuge, turning right into the Lámpás Valley, following the P◼ marks. The only advantage of this route is the quick descent into the valley; however, we descend steeply through a young, viewless forest, with the monotonous section ending at the old beech forest at the valley floor. Crossing the trench of Hideg Valley, we pass a visibly disturbed area. This is the residue of spoil heaps from coal mining, with the Gyula shaft below to the right and the Upper and Northern drifts open in the neighboring Lámpás Valley. With a short detour (on the PL marking), we can see the miners’ memorial stone, but in the largely overgrown and forested area, only traces remain of the formerly bustling mining life.

In Lámpás Valley, we ascend on a wide forestry road through forests of varying ages. Finally, following the P+ trail (turning right), we cross a winding creek among beeches. We reach the origins of the Lámpás ditch, the Kantavári Springs among steep slopes in an old beech forest. Next to the abundant spring, there are benches, a table, and a shelter; this is a popular place for hikers from Pécs. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, a refuge was built here on the hiking trail leading to Mánfa, and after World War I, local nature walkers constructed the spring reservoir. The spring emerges with a reliable yield from Triassic limestone of the West Mecsek, at the boundary with sandstones settled upon it.

Old and New Era Constructions

Directly above the spring, the ruins of the wall-bearing Kantavár castle can be recognized. From here, turning left on the P trail, then again left on the PL marking, we take a short detour to the site towering above us. The summit of the castle hill stands out for its striking steepness, making the last few meters a challenging climb, at the end of which a barely discernible rubble stone wall can be seen. No written records mention the castle's age, but based on excavations, it is presumed to originate from the 13th century. In its center stood a residential tower, the faint remains of which can be found, and the surface shape also indicates the presence of a moat and gate tower. Excavations between the two world wars also uncovered remnants of the settlement beneath the castle.

The P sign leads comfortably back to Dömörkapu, but if we want to climb to the top of Misina, to the TV tower, for magnificent views, it’s worth making a small detour up to the summit. For this, return to the fork above the Kantavári Springs, then turn left along the S● trail ascending past the former quarry. Changing to a level path, continuing straight, we join the S+ and then turn right onto the S▲ signs through the beech forest on the eastern side of Tubes.

In a linden-mixed oak forest, we reach the flat ridge where the paved road also ascends to the Misina summit. The gigantic concrete colossus soaring above the tree canopy is remarkable. Since 1908, the first significant building of the Mecsek nature walkers stood here, the Kiss József Lookout Tower commemorating the retiring association president. In the 1960s, thanks to the booming mining and industrial era in Mecsek, a nearly 200-meter-high concrete tower was built (the old one was dismantled). On the middle terrace floor is a panorama restaurant, above which a viewing terrace opens with views over the region. In good weather, you can see from the Croatian Papuk range to the Balaton Uplands and the Bakony Mountains. The captivating sight, however, is watching Pécs’s buildings and districts from this height, as well as following the ridge of the Villány Hills rising from the plains of the Dráva and Danube from Tenkes to Szársomlyó.

At the end of our route, we descend back to our starting point at Dömörkapu on the S trail. This follows the former rodli—a sledding slope—across the rocky mountain ridge. Below us on the north side, sheltered from the sun, the Pécs nature walkers developed a ski area with slopes, sledding runs, and even a ski jump where locals enjoyed winter sports. Nowadays, snow rarely covers the hillside; the ski jump has been out of operation for more than half a century, with only concrete pillars visible, and the sledding track functions more as a hiking trail. At the end of the rocky path, we return to the park at Dömörkapu, from where, if time allows, we can walk down to the zoo or try the miniature railway.