People First

A decades-old problem in Pécs was solved in 2023 with the renewal of the Misina Tetőpont (Misina Peakpoint), an emblematic point of the city, including the TV tower.
A real success story in which the residents of Pécs were also involved. This is becoming more and more a habit in Pécs, to our delight. Part of the success story is that the renewed tourist attraction called Misina Tetőpont Family and Movement Space is perfectly barrier-free.

It is very important that we were able to tour the facility BEFORE its handover to the public with our wheelchair and visually impaired members, assessing any need for improvement. During our visit in December 2023, we experienced exemplary positive helpfulness from the CEO, and project manager of Pécs Urban Development Nonprofit Ltd. and the contractor's construction manager. We have great hope that future cooperation has now been established. And from now on, we will have the opportunity to tour public buildings and investments in Pécs in a similar way, offering our help, before handover. 

After a slightly lengthy introduction, a little Misina-tető story. Since it has been a very important place for the residents of Pécs and tourists visiting us for several generations, its transformation is also worth a little attention.
In 1973 it became a sensation that the country's tallest building, the 197-meter-high TV tower, was built here. Since it was a magnet for tourists from the country and abroad, the Misina restaurant was built next to it. It was fashionable to go here, it was one of the best restaurants in and above the city. However, the restaurant closed two decades later, and from then on the neighborhood began to decline along with it. So much so that for many years it became rather a shame for Pécs.
In 2020, the local government of Pécs launched a brainstorming session for the renewal of the Misina-tető (peak), asking citizens what they would like to see and use there. Out of the three architectural versions, the people of Pécs voted equally for the "active Misina" and "family Misina" options. Thus, the city combined these two ideas and became a "Family and Movement Space", i.e. an excursion-tourist-family center.
Work began in March 2023. In October 2023, the city organized a residential tour, which our association also participated. The kind and responsive public tour has already indicated to us that we will be happy from an accessibility point of view if the investment is completed at the end of the year.
In December 2023, the management of Pécs Urban Development Nonprofit Ltd. accompanied us on a pre-handover tour. Our goal was to tour the completed but not yet handed over building and its surroundings to help make it truly barrier-free.
The building and its surroundings are expected to be occupied by hikers, cyclists and picnickers in February 2024.
We are already saying that we will go back in spring 2024 and complete the report with information and photos about the already operating building as part of an association trip. (Update: We actually saw the Misina Tetőpont in operation in June 2024 and had a very pleasant experience. Updates are highlighted below.)

What is located at the Misina Tetőpont and how accessible is it?
In the four-storey building, on the ground floor, there is planned to be a 24-hour changing room for the refreshment of tired wanderers, runners and cyclists. Bicycle service, -storage and -washing and valuables lockers. On the other side of the ground floor there is a snack bar, information point, and a common room.
All ground floor rooms are barrier-free. There are no thresholds at the doors, the floor is smooth, but contrasting colors are not found. In the buffet section there is also an information point where tactile signs lead to the visually impaired. The counter of the buffet is too high, but in one place it has been converted to an accessible height from a wheelchair. In front of the buffet there is a terrace with garden furniture and smooth, barrier-free ground.
From the buffet it is not possible to roll over to the changing area and to the elevators, they must be approached from outside. The elevators are available on the side of the building, while the changing room and bicycle shop are available on the roadside of the building.
An induction loop will work in the information section for the hearing impaired, this is indicated by a sticker.
Update: the lower part of the counter has been integrated into the café as a cashier, so the information desk is no longer working on the ground floor. It is unclear how and from whom information can be obtained.

Barrier-free toilet is located on the ground floor, next to the snack bar in a corridor. The toilet will satisfy all needs. In December 2023, the handrails next to the toilet bowl were not found to be entirely correct, however, this will be replaced with standard ones until the building is handed over. A pull-in handle will be placed on the door from the inside. Update: a handrail has been implemented, as well as a handle on the door.

The elevator takes you to all levels, including the rooftop sky-bar. Braille and voice announcements are provided both indoors and outdoors.

On the first floor, on the site of the former restaurant, there is now a conference room, outside with a huge terrace with a panoramic view. The conference room will also have an induction loop to help people with hearing impairments.
From the terrace starts a canopy pier with a wonderful panorama, which is also accessible.
Underneath there is a children's playground and an adult fitness park. This is the only one that is not barrier-free, because it is covered with mulch and there are no accessible toys for children with disabilities. However, the CEO has already planned a possible further development in this direction.

A sky-bar awaits you on the roof, while you can see far into the forests of Mecsek hill and see the city from above. Right next to us, the monumental TV tower towers above us. We can also get here by elevator without barriers.

The area around Misina Tetőpont is also completely barrier-free, with tactile signs indicating danger for visually impaired people. The ramp leading to the building is located from the TV tower, it has a pleasant incline, long outlet, we easily rolled up it with a manual wheelchair.
Coming from the parking lot below, passing by the TV tower, there is also a ramp, but this one is steeper. Here, you definitely need help with a manual wheelchair.

There are 5 accessible parking spaces around the building. Two of them are located next to the Misina Tetőpont building, painted and signed. Three in the parking lot on the same level as the bus stop.

The Misina Tetőpont is not only about the building, the project also involves the surrounding area in creating a "Mecsek adventure chain". This includes the renovation of the Mecsek light railway, the development of forest bike-paths, the rethinking of the area of the old Amusement Park, or even the creation of a chairlift in Mecsek. You can read more about all this on the website of Misina Tetőpont (but unfortunately, we haven't found an English version yet).

UPDATE: Misina Tetőpont was presented to the public for the first time with a large-scale family day.On 17. February 2024, a full-day open day was held, where visitors could discover the building and its facilities, and take in the beautiful surroundings.
In March 2024 the Misina Cafe opened on the ground floor. We tested it, the cakes and coffees are excellent, the service is very nice. Although our first thought might be that it's strange to use plastic cups in a forest café, the operator of the café informed us that they are recycled, biodegradable cups. They found that there was a demand for this, as guests could take them with them on hikes.
The tactile signs on the ground floor are clearly visible and tactile to help visually impaired and blind visitors. The side entrance to the lifts on the ground floor was found to be locked, and a family visiting in a wheelchair had to find someone to open it (an information point would be useful for this too). This should be kept open at all times in the future.

Website:
The site is currently not technically accessible. Background and foreground colors do not have sufficient contrast ratios, which can be a problem for people with low vision. Title elements do not follow each other in downward order, and can be used with screen-reader-only devices with difficulty. Nevertheless, in our experience, as a visually impaired person, you can move around well with title bar navigation in the news menu, and when you open articles, they are also easy to read. Image elements do not have [alt] attributes, i.e. captions, so they cannot be used by visually impaired people. Links don't have recognizable names, so they're difficult to use with screen readers.

Getting there:
by bus, line 35 arrives at the Misina-tető. Unfortunately, bus services in March 2024 are still very infrequent. The bus departs from the Main Railway Station but has several stops in the city centre. The bus is barrier-free, the loud announcement is unfortunately too quiet at times.
Update: To meet demand, the timetable has changed from 20. April 2024. There will be 5 extra buses/day to the Misina tető.
The bus stop is located in the first parking lot below. The barrier-free exit from the bus stop is currently on a ramp much further down the sidewalk. However, this will require a permanent and better solution in the future, with a direct ramp from the bus stop. Cars will certainly be parked in front of the current ramp, as there is no indication of its function. Thus, an accessible expiration sign and painting are required as an immediate solution. Urban Development Ltd. is a partner in finding a solution for this in the near future. Thanks in advance.
Suggestion: it is worth asking the bus driver to drop off disabled passengers at the Misina Tetőpont building above. Do not take it down to the bus stop, from where it is more difficult to get up to the building on said steep ramp.

by car from the city center, the TV Tower and the Misina-tető can be reached in 15-20 minutes, on Hunyadi Road, towards the Pálosok Church, passing by the Da Vinci private clinic, towards the Zoo, then on Ángyán János Road. Barrier-free parking is located right next to the Misina Tetőpont building 2pcs. From here, the building and its surroundings, the TV tower can be reached comfortably. Three more accessible parking spaces are located at bus stop level in the car park below. The ramp leading from here to the building is quite steep, here manual wheelchair assistance is required.