Cutler Gym & Fitness Pécs

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The possibility of playing sports accessible is also a major contribution to independent living. In fact, as a person with a disability, exercise and strengthening is essential. Since we already know of people with disabilities who have exercised in this gym in Pécs, we have explored the Cutler Gym & Fitness in Pécs Plaza. Overall, we found that it is not a gym specifically designed for people with disabilities (such as “Suhanj” in Budapest), but it is possible to work out in an accessible way, and the approach and attitude make it definitely recommendable for people with special needs.

Cutler Gym welcomes sports lovers since December 2016 in the wing to the left of the main entrance in Pécs Plaza. When arriving at Pécs Plaza, you can access Cutler Gym from the main entrance on the left, on a smooth, paved sidewalk. There are two ways to access the entrance from the barrier-free parking lot: you can either use the barrier-free sidewalk at the main entrance of the Plaza or you can use the parking lot to reach the barrier-free sidewalk section at the entrance of Cutler.

Going straight ahead at the entrance, the glass door with vertical metal handle has no door brake, is moderately easy to open and does not swing back.
In the pleasant lobby you enter into the Protein Bar, from here you can access the sauna, the solarium, one of the changing rooms, the 900 square metre fighting area, and from the fighting area to the group room.
The seating in the Protein Bar is of appropriate height and the tables are accessible by manual wheelchair. The bar counter is slightly high from a wheelchair. The staff here are attentive and helpful.

The doors in the gym all open easily, with only a conventional handle and no door brake.

There are currently no solutions to help the visually impaired and hearing impaired.

The toilets are to the left of the entrance and are not accessible. However, accessible toilets and baby changing facilities are located in the Plaza building and are easily accessible from the gym.

Wheelchair access to the men’s and women’s changing rooms is available. Here you will find hangers, mirrors and hairdryers. Wheelchair access to the lockers in the bottom row is also available. Unfortunately the showers are not wheelchair accessible, only the hand-washing sinks can be used from a wheelchair.

From the changing room lobby, you can access the solarium on the left and the sauna on the right. These are not wheelchair accessible but can be used by other disabled people with assistance.

From the Protein Bar, a rotating entrance gate provides access to the so-called fighting area. The arms of the rotating entrance can be folded down or to the side, and the staff can make way for wheelchairs on request. There are also a number of machines in the gym to help you train. At first glance, they can seem crowded, but the staff are happy to move them if necessary and we have found that wheelchairs can fit between them. The flooring is smooth and non-slippery, and we did not encounter any risk of tripping between machines.
The group rooms open from the far end of the fighting area, with a threshold of about 1 cm, which is no problem. Here you will find mirror walls, rib walls, punching bags and a variety of other equipment.

The gym has 160 machines, more than 40 cardio machines and some 5 tonnes of weights. There are no machines specially designed for people with disabilities, but we caught the owner’s attention during our visit and hope that they will be added in the future. The majority of the machines can be used by disabled people, many with some assistance.
But the personal trainers will give you all the support you need. There are two main specially trained personal trainers (physiotherapists) who have worked and are currently working with disabled sportspeople at Cutler. Disabled guests are welcome. It is advisable to book in advance if you are a disabled person and would like to be a permanent guest in the gym, the coaches will be prepared to accommodate you.

As part of Cutler’s positive approach, the gym is not just a place to work out, the venue regularly organises events including blood donations – which are announced on the Cutler Gym Facebook page.

The Cutler offers a range of options and discounts, from day passes to annual season tickets. Unfortunately, there are no special discounts for people with disabilities.

Website:
The home page offers a visual 3D tour.
As a person with reduced mobility, it is easy to use, the menu items are clear, the size is right and the site is easy to navigate. It doesn’t take too many clicks to find the content you’re looking for.

As a visually impaired person, the website is very usable, almost exemplary. The menu system is transparent and easy to use with a screen reader. The header navigation makes it easy to quickly access specific content after opening the menu items. The navigation elements (links, buttons) are easy to activate. Unfortunately, the images are not captioned anywhere, so they are not readable for the visually impaired. But nowadays, this can be done by taking a screenshot and using artificial intelligence to interpret the images. We tried it, it works. However, taking a selfie on the registration form is more difficult as blind person. We couldn’t find an option to load a previously taken picture as a selfie, at least the screen reader doesn’t see it. Taking a selfie blind is a pretty random thing to do, there’s not really any feedback on whether you’re looking at the camera in the right direction.

Getting there:
by bus, by lines 1, 30Y, 55, get off at the “Vásártér” stop. The buses, the bus stop and the zebra crossings are barrier-free. Behind the bus stop, a cycle lane crosses the route, indicated by tactile signs.
The pavement around the building is well maintained, smooth and of adequate width.

by car, there are 4 barrier-free parking spaces in the free car park of Pécs Plaza, to the left of the main entrance on Megyeri út.

Atrium Guesthouse

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It is important for us to offer you accessible accommodation in Orfű. The reason is that since 2016 we have been organising the Barrier-free Tourism Day festival at Lake Pécs in Orfű, which is attended by many guests from all over the country, many of them people with disabilities. As Orfű is a marvelous tourist destination, many of them would like to stay for a few days and relax, and this is what we would like to help them do.

We have not yet found fully accessible accommodation in Orfű, but we have found some that can be enjoyed with some compromises. We would like to introduce you to these, as they have wheelchair users and visually impaired guests every year. Because every disabled person has different needs. And because our database is also intended for elderly people and people with young children, who can also enjoy these accommodations.
We have therefore tried to take a lot of photos so that you can decide whether the guesthouse is an option for you.

The Atrium Guesthouse is located in the centre of Orfű, just a few houses away from the Muskátli Restaurant. It is a real paradise with easy access to the village centre, the lake, the market, restaurants, the Medvehagyma Ház Visitor Centre, bus stops, the shop.

At the entrance, there are a few parking spaces along the road, unfortunately covered with the pebbled pavement, which standard in Orfű and not really barrier-free. Driving through the gate or entering on foot, a steep concrete path leads to the parking area above. This car park is also covered with pebbles.
There is a swimming pool at the level of the car park, the area around which is accessible. Access to the pool is not accessible to people with mobility impairments. A diving pool on the other side of the car park enhances the experience.

The building is accessed from the car park via several stairs, or if you arrive in a wheelchair or pushchair, via the side entrance that leads to the terrace. Part of this bypass is also paved with small pebbles, the larger part is covered with concrete.
The stairs lead up to an atrium, where you are amazed by the lush vegetation growing in the vertical open space in the middle. From here, stairs lead down to the communal area, where sofas, chairs and tables provide a very pleasant space for relaxing and spending time together. The communal space is functional and accessible, and from here you can enter the communal kitchen, which is accessible without a threshold and is barrier-free.
Access to the community space is barrier-free from the car park via the bypass mentioned above, which first leads to the garden. From the garden, a ramp with a slight slope leads to the terrace, from where the community space is accessible without any obstacles. It is much easier than described 🙂

The largest room is offered by the owner as accessible, opening from the terrace. There is a minimal threshold between the common area and the terrace. There is also a 2 cm threshold at the entrance to the room from the terrace. The room is indeed very large, with smooth artificial stone flooring, no carpets, no thresholds anywhere. The double bed is the right height to change from a wheelchair (60 cm high), the sofa is a little high for this purpose.

The bathroom door is 80 cm wide, which although not standard, is still wheelchair accessible. There is no threshold in the bathroom door. Due to its large size, the bathroom is easy to move around and turn around in a wheelchair. The toilet is located in the corner because of the window, making it a little more difficult to access in a wheelchair. There are currently no handrails next to it, but the owner has promised to provide them. The built-in shower has a 10 cm edge, making it impossible to roll in with a wheelchair.

The terrace is furnished with chairs, tables and armchairs, with many very pleasant decorative elements. The terrace opens onto the garden, from where there is a staircase to the street entrance. Sitting on the terrace, you really get the feeling of relaxing in a beautiful oasis. The lower part of the garden has a lovely playground for children.

The lake is very close, 300-400 metres away, accessible first by a concrete road and then by crossing the motorway on a smooth, stone paved, accessible footpath. The walkway continues around the lake, making it a pleasant place to walk and hike. A cycle path and footpath is currently (October 2024) being built on the other side of the lake, making it safe to cycle, wheelchair and pushchair users. However, the road on the west (opposite) side is steep at times, so assistance with a manual wheelchair is needed.
The lake trip includes several accessible sites. Starting with the fully accessible Medvehagyma Ház Visitor Centre, located very close to the accommodation, which also has an accessible toilet. In the other direction, also very close to the guesthouse, the Kayak Buffet also has a barrier-free toilet. During opening hours, the Municipality’s accessible toilet, also close to the accommodation, is free to use. You can read about the Orfű excursion in our database here: https://peoplefirst.hu/en/directory/barrier-free-pecs/orfu-2/

Website:
The website can be used by people with mobility problems. The menus are clear and of a suitable size, making the site easy to navigate. It does not require too many clicks to find the content you are looking for. The room booking process is simple and the interface is easy to use.
As a visually impaired person, the main page is easy to navigate. The contact form is easy to fill in, the booking section only shows the Atrium Guesthouse, even though there is a question asking which guesthouse you want to book. The “book now” button makes it easy to select the date and number of guests. For rooms, only the rooms on the first floor of the Atrium Guesthouse are shown on the booking form, on the main page and in the gallery. Unfortunately, there are no captions for the pictures, so visually impaired and blind people may not know what they show. However, it may be difficult to find other information with a screen reader, as you can see the gallery with all the pictures under each menu item on the page.
Unfortunately, we could not find an English version on the site.

Getting there:
by car from Orfű Pécs 16 km, about 20 minutes drive. From Pécs you can reach Orfű from two directions: via Uránváros, towards Daindol. This is the most popular way, the bus also goes there.
Or through the city centre on the Hunyadi road towards the church of Pálosok, over the hill on the Lapisi road. The roads to Orfű are serpentine, so expect that.

by bus, from Pécs long-distance bus station. You can find the timetable here: https://menetrendek.hu/mobile/?lng=en
If you need a bus with disabled access, please contact the traffic office in advance at +36 72 520-154.
The bus stops in Orfű are about 200 metres from the accommodation. The bus stop on the arrival side from Pécs is not barrier-free, it has a high edge. Wheelchair access is possible on the grassy area at the bus stop sign.
The bus stop on the way to Pécs is barrier-free and has a concrete ramp.

Guesthouse of Bandi bá

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The guesthouse is located in the centre of Orfű, very close to Lake Pécs, in a beautiful environment, directly next to the motorway, easily accessible.

We have to admit, there was a debate within our team as to whether to include it in our database, despite its beauty and great location. We would like to point out that the accommodation is not accessible from our point of view.
Even so, there are several reasons why it is included in the database:
Firstly, the national festival of Barrier-free Tourism Day – which has been held in Orfű since 2016 and of which our association is one of the main organisers -, is attended by guests in electric wheelchairs who enjoy their stay here. It is important that we want offer accessible accommodation for this festival. We have not yet found any fully accessible accommodation in Orfű, but we have found some that can be enjoyed with some compromises.
Secondly, accommodation is suitable for people with certain disabilities.
Thirdly, our database is intended not only for people with disabilities, but also for elderly people and families with young children, for whom the guest house may also be suitable.
We have therefore tried to take a lot of photos so that you can decide whether the guesthouse is an option for you.

The guesthouse is accessed on foot from the promenade leading to the lake. Unfortunately, we have noticed that in Orfű is very popular for its access roads and parking areas to be covered with large pebbles, which makes wheelchair access very difficult and is not comfortable for visually impaired people. The same applies to people with pushchairs.
Here too, there is a pathway with larger pebbles, which we struggled with in a manual wheelchair. The owner has promised to make this more accessible.

Next to the pathway is a pleasant covered barbecue area with a built-in oven, tables and benches.

Once you pass the gravel path, you arrive at a large, beautifully situated, barrier-free terrace with sun loungers, a covered terrace with benches and tables, a ping-pong table and even an outdoor pool to make your stay a real pleasure. The spacious grassy courtyard has a playground for the little ones.

From the terrace you can access the community space. The threshold is low, no more than 2 centimetres high, and with a manual wheelchair we managed the obstacle smoothly. The communal area has smooth stone flooring, a large space for free movement, no thresholds, and wheelchair access to tables. The common kitchen is also easily accessible for visually impaired people and wheelchair users.
There is also a shared toilet, which is not barrier-free.

From the common area and the terrace there are 5 rooms in total, one of which consists of two rooms with twice double beds. All rooms have the same layout.
The entrance is barrier-free, the doors are wide enough and the thresholds are low. The rooms have smooth artificial stone floors, no carpets and the space is spacious enough for wheelchairs. The beds are of a suitable height for changing from a wheelchair (about 60cm), the sofa is a little low for this purpose. There is a terrace from the rooms, the threshold is a little higher at the exit.

By car, you can exit the motorway to reach the car park, which has space for 8-10 cars. The car park is also gravelled, but wheelchair users can park directly at the rear entrance, at the service entrance, to get out and access the community space more comfortably. The threshold here is also low.

From an accessibility perspective, the problem is with the bathrooms.
Their doors are 65 centimetres wide, which would be barely accessible with a manual wheelchair. But even this is not possible, as the door opens inwards, where the radiator does not allow the door to be opened to its full width. In the bathroom, the toilet is located in a narrow space, not wheelchair accessible, with no handrails next to it. The shower has a high edge (15-20 cm), also without handrails.

The lake is very close, about 50 metres away, and can be reached by a smooth, artificial stone paving, barrier-free walkway. The walkway continues around the lake, making it a pleasant place to walk and hike. A cycle path and footpath is currently (October 2024) being built on the other side of the lake, making it safe to cycle, wheelchair and pushchair users. However, the road on the west (opposite) side is steep at times, so assistance with a manual wheelchair is needed.
The lake trip includes several accessible sites. Starting with the fully accessible Medvehagyma Ház Visitor Centre, located very close to the accommodation, which also has an accessible toilet. In the other direction, also very close to the guesthouse, the Kayak Buffet also has a barrier-free toilet. During opening hours, the Municipality’s accessible toilet, also close to the accommodation, is free to use. You can read about the Orfű excursion in our database here: https://peoplefirst.hu/en/directory/barrier-free-pecs/orfu-2/

Website:
the Bandi bá Guesthouse does not have a separate website, you can log in and enquire at the Atrium Guesthouse. Unfortunately, we could not find an English version on the site.
This website can be used by people with mobility problems. The menus are clear and of a suitable size, making the site easy to navigate. It does not require too many clicks to find the content you are looking for. The room booking process is simple and the interface is easy to use.
As a visually impaired person, the main page is easy to navigate. The contact form is easy to fill in, the booking section only shows the Atrium Guesthouse, even though there is a question asking which guesthouse you want to book. The “book now” button makes it easy to select the date and number of guests. For rooms, only the rooms on the first floor of the Atrium Guesthouse are shown on the booking form, on the main page and in the gallery. Unfortunately, there are no captions for the pictures, so visually impaired and blind people may not know what they show. However, it may be difficult to find other information with a screen reader, as you can see the gallery with all the pictures under each menu item on the page.

Sports hall

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A sports hall had existed in Pécs since 1873, but a much larger facility was needed. The Lauber Dezső Municipal Sports Hall, in operation since 1976, is the city’s central sports venue. In addition to sports events, it also hosts major cultural events. Its namesake, Dezső Lauber, was not only a versatile sportsman but also an architect. Interestingly, perhaps only a few people know that in Pécs we have a strange sports hall, deep in the middle of the sports field. According to urban legend, this is because the building was originally intended as a swimming pool.
It is also interesting to note that the “Basketball Woman” statue on the eastern corner of the building commemorates Judit Horváth, a sixty-seven-time national team basketball player who sadly passed away at an early age.

Renovation work on the Sports Hall started in 2019 and has resulted in the building being largely barrier-free. This included the creation of barrier-free entrances, parking spaces and a barrier-free toilet. The renovated building was reopened to the public in March 2024.

Overall, disabled people can move around independently on the accessible ground floor, but visually impaired people without local knowledge may need assistance.

Entrances:
There are several entrances to the event, access is via entrances 1. and 2. Entrance 1. is located at the corner of the building facing Bolygó street, and Entrance 2. is the stair entrance.

Entrance 1. is the barrier-free entrance, with an external lift for wheelchair access, operated by staff. A 24-hour reception service is available, with a bell at the entrance to request assistance for access. Pass holders and VIP guests are admitted through this entrance.
If the lift is not working, access to the sports hall can be gained via the office wing entrance from Tüzér Street, but due to the steepness of the ramp, manual wheelchair assistance is required. The bells are located on the left hand side of the entrance, at a conventional height. Opening the double doors also requires external assistance.

Entrance 2., the staircase entrance, is where ticket buyers enter. Wheelchair access is not possible here, and it is difficult for people with reduced mobility to enter. For the visually impaired, a short red tactile sign on the right-hand side of the staircase at street level directs you to the stairs and shows you the direction of the pavement. Tactile markings at the top of the stairs indicate the end of the stairway. When entering the building from Entrance 2, a blue tactile guide for the visually impaired to the cloakroom is provided.
There are no tactile signs or guide rails in the rest of the building.

Grandstand level:
Wheelchair spaces for viewing sports and other events are located at the level of the recessed sports field, right next to the sports ground. Stairs lead up to the upstairs grandstand level, with handrails on either side, and tactile ribs on the edges of the steps, which are darker in colour. In the grandstand, increased attention is required, as there are no tactile and distinct visual cladding signs. The height of the chairs here is 46 cm.
In the playing area, two large displays provide a visual indication of the status of the sporting event. There is no special warning of the start or end of the break, or of the broadcast.

Quiet room not available.

Accessible toilets:
The spacious accessible toilet on the ground floor next to the buffet is easily accessible, with a changing area in the lobby and a shower with fold-down seat in the toilet. There is no anti-slip seat. There is an alarm bell at the reception.
Non-accessible toilets are located one level down and are accessible by stairs.

Buffet:
There is a buffet in the building, the counter is a little high from a wheelchair, but the staff are helpful. The plastic tables are 70 cm high.

Website:
The Sports Hall website has an Accessible menu icon, which can be of help to visually impaired and dyslexic people, among others. As a blind person, the site is well designed, the menus are easy to follow and easy to use. It’s easy to use even for people with mobility impairments, the menus are clear, the drop-down lists are the right size, and the site is easy to navigate. It doesn’t take too many clicks to find the content you’re looking for.
Downloadable floor plans of the different parts of the building can be helpful for preliminary orientation. Under the About menu, in the Introduction sub-menu, the tasks are specifically dedicated to the promotion of sport for people with disabilities.

Getting there:
by bus: if you are arriving by bus 4, 4Y, 104, 104A, 104E, get off at the “Sportcsarnok” stop. If you are coming from the direction of Kertváros on busline 1., get off at the “PÉTÁV” stop. However, please note that the busline 1. is not always barrier-free, so it is advisable to check in advance.
From the bus stops, high kerbs and bumpy pavements make access difficult in all directions, and wheelchair users will need assistance.

by car: the asphalted parking lot from Veress Endre street has 3 barrier-free spaces with signs and pavement markings. From this car park, wheelchair access to the barrier-free entrance 1. is easy and short. The bell at the lift is located at a height accessible from a wheelchair.

The pavement around the building is well maintained, plain and of adequate width.

Meseerdő/Fairytale forest

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Once upon a time, there was an amusement park in Pécs. It was nice, it was good, but the equipment is outdated and today’s young people want a different kind of experience. Thanks to Biokom Nonprofit Ltd Pécs, the forest site, abandoned for years, became a Fairytale Forest in May 2024.

What is the Fairytale Forest?
A thematic fairytale park, where we are guided through the story of King Dömör by Éva Radnai and Levente Császár fairytale writers from Pécs, while we can see highly imaginative wooden installations by woodcarver Gábor Baráth. During the forest walk, we can not only follow the story – and even become characters ourselves – but also learn about the history and legends of the area. Be careful, because you might meet a sleeping giant, big enough to you can stand in the palm of his hand or even in his mouth 🙂
The park is barrier-free and open to visitors free of charge every day of the year.
The Fairytale Forest is not just for children, our association also took a trip on a day in June 2024 and rolled through the pleasant, shady forest. We really enjoyed it!

Accessibility of the fairytale forest:
Even though we arrived in the summer and on a Saturday, there was plenty of parking in front of the entrance. If we were lucky, we could park our car directly in front of the entrance. Of course, this should not be a matter of luck, and there should be a requirement for accessible parking to be painted near the entrance.

The entrance is always open, you can easily enter through the stone gate, with no other doors blocking your way into the fairytale.

There is a concrete path through the park, which is not new, but we did not find any particular bumps.
There are also pleasant rest areas with tables in the park, but unfortunately not all of them are wheelchair accessible, or the tables are not accessible to wheelchair users.

You can follow the story on the large boards along the road, which have the story in both English and Hungarian. For the visually impaired, a QR code in the bottom right-hand corner of each board will help you access the audio book, where all the story parts are also excellent to listen to.

Most of the park is wheelchair accessible, and we tested both manual and electric versions. However, some installations and sometimes even big boards are not always accessible by wheelchair. Sometimes there are bumpy dirt roads, sometimes small gravel paths. The “lantern”, the “fairies’ dancing place” and the “throne room” are not accessible without any obstacles, due to the mentioned bumpy dirt paths and steps. However, the biggest attraction, a wooden giant lying on the ground, was not a problem for us, and we were able to see it up close in a wheelchair. It’s worth rolling all the way to the end of the road, past the stone benches, where the ground is almost flat, with hardly any uphill. You may need some help with a manual wheelchair to get around the giant, as the mulches can spin the wheels here.

Visitors with prams were also interviewed, and in some places they had similar difficulties.

It was especially nice to see that the whole area of the Fairytale Forest is pleasantly cool thanks to the trees. It’s worth taking a good look everywhere, and even looking up, because even the trees have surprises!

There is no snack bar in the park, but we found a wooden horn-cake kiosk in front of the entrance.

The toilets were provided by the mobile toilets in the car park, and we were delighted to find that one of the two toilets was barrier-free! We tested this one too, it is easy to turn around in an electric wheelchair, the door can be opened by itself and access was no problem. The thing to be aware of: there are no suitable handholds around the toilet seat, and no disinfection or hand-washing facilities.

Website:
The website is not very informative at the moment, with a short text, an audio book about the stations and a description of how to get there. It is only available in Hungarian. For the visually impaired, the audio book is a great help, as it reads out the story of each station. However, this does not work by clicking on the stations, only by clicking on the “A könyv/The book” button at the top of the website. As this does not include the information that it is an audiobook to help those who cannot see, we strongly recommend that it is clearly labelled. Apart from this, the website is accessible and can be used by people with mobility impairments too.
The website also offers a virtual walk-through: https://meseerdo.biokom.hu/virtualis-seta/

Getting there:
by buses 34, 34Y and 35 from the Main Railway Station. Get off at the “Dömörkapu” stop. The bus stop is not barrier-free, but there is a dirt road that allows you to roll down to the road. The buses are accessible. The journey time is approximately half an hour.
From the bus stop, the entrance is accessible via the road, which takes 2-3 minutes.

by car, up the Hunyadi road, on a somewhat serpentine road (but this is to be expected on the Mecsek Hill), passing the Pécs Zoo to the Dömörkapu parking lot. It is about 15 minutes by car. The parking lot is flat concrete, you can park quite close to the entrance. There is no signposted barrier-free parking.

Our suggestions for improvement have been reported to the relevant authorities. They promise to look into ways of improving the accessibility of the Fairytale Park. Thank you in advance for your kind attitude!

Cella Septichora Visitor Centre

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Pécs boasts many exciting sights, but certainly one of the most interesting are the Early Christian burial chambers, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hungary’s most important Early Christian cemetery complex is left over from Sopianae, the Roman predecessor of Pécs. The hundreds of known tombs, numerous burial chambers, funerary chapels and 4 major tomb buildings are evidence of a former religious centre. The late Roman cemetery monuments, which lie under the Cathedral Square, are brought together in a single complex by the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre contains a total of 6 two-storey tombs and two larger buildings. Not all of the sites are accessible (such as the mausoleum and the monuments on Apáca Street), but 90% of the central Visitor Centre is accessible in this way.

First of all, we need to clarify what a Cella Septichora is, because you don’t hear much about it anywhere else in the world. The name means “Chapel of the Seven Chariots” and is one of the most important monuments of the early Christian cemetery of Sopianae. It is an elongated octagonal structure with apse niches, or semicircular niches, on seven sides (the eighth has the entrance). Hence the name.

A part of the pre-Roman predecessor of the city of Pécs, the Early Christian cemetery of Sopianae, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. It deserves this status because the architecture and wall paintings of the excavated complex are extremely varied and illustrate the architecture and art of early Christian burial in the Roman Empire. Some of the numerous brick tombs and burial chambers are painted, and their interiors are decorated with biblical scenes and symbols. The Cella Septichora is a completely unique solution, so many apse buildings are rare. The Cella Septichora was not completed in the Roman period, so its final function is uncertain. It may have been intended as a burial place or even a funerary basilica.

The building was first discovered in 1927, but was only partially excavated in 1938-40. A full archaeological excavation took place in 2005-2006. The Cella Septichora Visitor Centre opened in 2007. As an interesting feature, a large and several smaller transparent glass roofs allow a glimpse of the archaeological treasures from the surface. And from the inside, you can see people walking around the square above your head.
Over the years, the building has deteriorated, and a major renovation was carried out in 2023. This mainly involved the building’s mechanical systems and the installation of some really exciting interactive equipment, but unfortunately accessibility was not improved. Despite this, we have visited it several times in wheelchairs, most recently in May 2024 following the refurbishment.

The entrance is barrier-free, with a long, gently sloping ramp to the reception. Access to the reception is directly through a glass door, which does not open automatically. Just before the glass door, right next to the entrance, there is a toilet for everyone, which is completely barrier-free.
A mobile induction loop is available at the reception for the hearing impaired, while an audio guide explaining the sites in Hungarian and English can help the visually impaired. There are no tactile signs. And the visual guide function in 6 languages provides additional information for everyone with pictures, 3D reconstructions and games.
Disabled people and their accompanying persons can buy a discounted ticket, which was 800 HUF/person in May 2024.

We start in the large, seven-sided chapel, where the fragments of earth left on the walls give us a sense of how these walls have always been in the ground. Here, a multilingual video tells the story of the Roman Empire, Sopianae and the tombs. Above us, the glass roof offers a very special experience. The area is completely barrier-free, but the access ramp is uphill and downhill, with manual wheelchair assistance required.

From here, we were able to get to all the other sites in wheelchairs, except the Korsós tomb, which is not wheelchair accessible. Sometimes we encounter small slopes that need assistance. Accessibility is assisted by lifts in two places and stairways in one. The lifts can be operated independently, but it is worth remembering to keep pressing the button. Once the lift has reached the level, release the button to open the door. The buttons inside the lift must also be pressed continuously. If assistance is needed, a helper can get into the lifts, which are otherwise wheelchair-sized. The lift buttons have Braille writing on them, but no audo announcements.
We have not found any other written information in Braille.

The stairway system is operated by helpful, friendly staff at reception. We feel it would be worthwhile to provide them with regular awareness training on how to operate the accessible equipment. As a visitor, it is also important to know that to operate the stairway device, the assistant must constantly press the remote control button and direct it to the device’s sensor. The stairway itself is slow moving and sometimes breaks down, so it should definitely be replaced with a more modern version in the near future.
With an electric wheelchair, it is important to know that the stairway structure can support 190 kg.

The exciting underground walk definitely requires assistance with a manual wheelchair and for visually impaired person, as there are occasional small climbs on the otherwise easy-to-walk, smooth metal ramps. With an electric chair, this is not a problem. As visually impaired people be aware that the walking surface is a perforated metal grid, so the cane can get stuck.

Among the exciting interactive experiences, you can even dress up in period costume for the selfie point. Unfortunately, the camera is set too high to take a photo of yourself from a wheelchair. The situation is similar with the info columns, you can’t see the text from a wheelchair (or as a child), they are too high up and the monitor is tilted at an angle. The problem has been reported to the management.

Website:
on the website, click on the top right 3 bars in the “Information” menu and you will find a submenu “Accessibility information”. Here you will find further information about the accessibility of the venue and ticket prices in 6 languages: https://www.vilagoroksegpecs.hu/en
As a visually impaired person, it is fully clear, legible and accessible. Unfortunately, the images are not accompanied by any text or description on this website either, so they are invisible to the visually impaired.

Getting there:
by bus, you have to get off at the Árkád shopping centre. From there it is a slight uphill walk up Irgalmasok Street to Széchenyi Square. In a wheelchair the pavement of the square is slightly slippery. For the visually impaired, tactile signs from Irgalmasok Street will help. Watch out, because the restaurant terraces on Széchenyi tér are partly on the tactile signs on the right! From Széchenyi Square, take Janus Pannonius Street to Szent István Square, where the entrance to the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre is located in front of the Cathedral and the Kiosk.
From the Main Railway Station, take buses 30 and 130 and get off at Kodály Zoltán Street, from here it is a 3-minute walk to Szent István Square.

by car, the nearest barrier-free parking is at the corner of Széchenyi Square and Janus Pannonius Street, at the Nagy Lajos high school. A few meters further on, on the other side of the square, there are 2 more accessible parking spaces in front of and next to the courthouse.

Tekeres-Kovácsszénája bike lane

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We are in Orfű, one of our favourite place of excursion. The Orfű excursion is also described in a separate article in the database, which you can find here: https://peoplefirst.hu/en/directory/barrier-free-pecs/orfu-2/
But if you’re looking for a wilderness setting a little further away from the main tourist sites, visit the lovely little village of Tekeres at the dam-end of Lake Pécs. It’s actually now incorporated into Orfű.
This year, the bicycle lane connecting Tekeres with the fourth, most remote and beautiful lake of Kovácsszénája was completed. And bike lanes are always an excellent barrier-free option for wheelchair users, visually impaired people, families with stroller and elderly people. At the very end of April 2024 we walked the new route on a beautiful Saturday. This time we did it not only with our expert team, but also with a larger group of disabled and elderly participants, so we gained even more experience.

Our starting point was the Natura Pension at the beginning of Tekeres village. In front of it you can park your car, and the long-distance bus from Pécs stops right here.
Passing through the village on a smooth concrete road, you can admire the old, charming, beautifully restored houses and the bell tower. Then we come to the Herman Otto fishing lake. We will continue to use concrete roads, and reach the forest, the newly constructed bike lane begins, painted and well signposted. The strong yellow markings on the edges of the pavement and in the middle of the road help visually impaired fellows to find their way. The Tekeres village – Kovácsszénája section was 5.6 km for us, with a nice slow tempo, stopping occasionally, looking at plants and other beauties, talking and sometimes pausing. We did it in about 2 hours.

Accessibility:
the concrete road at the beginning is also well maintained, smooth, free of holes and bumps. The bike lane is perfectly smooth, making it pleasant for the visually impaired. As visually impaired you can keep a straight line on the edge of the bike lane with a white cane. The grass verge along the roadside is a great help.
However, the bike lane has 3-4 uphill and downhill sections. These are 6-7%. In one place there is a sign indicating a 10% gradient, which clearly seemed more to us when pushing the wheelchair. With an electric wheelchair the route can be completed without any problems. Pushing a manual wheelchair is a little more difficult and tiring for the helper in some sections because of the climbs. Both chairs can also fit in one side of the bike lanes. With a manual wheelchair alone along the route we recommend the trip only for those who are good at using their arms.

There is a serious lack of benches along the road for occasional rest, both for disabled and able-bodied.

Arriving at Kovácsszénája, we are greeted by a beautiful view, a paradise for anglers, and the tiny village itself.
But why does the village have such a strangely nice name? For centuries the village was called Kovacéna, which is of Slavic origin. It’s hard to imagine now, but the settlement, which has existed since the Árpád era, played a prominent role in its surroundings until the late 1600s, thanks to its ecclesia. Even during the Turkish occupation it was not depopulated, but the plague epidemics of the 18th century decimated the population. In the 19th century, it was strange, but it was fashionable to Hungarianise the names of localities. So Kovacéna was first called Kőhalom (pile of stones), then Kovácsszéna, and finally Kovácsszénája (smith’s hay)… who knows why, but it sounds good.
Unfortunately, at the end of the trip, there is currently no buffet or restaurant in Kovácsszénája where you can have a drink or a meal. But hopefully this will be provided in the near future as the number of people using the cycle path increases.
A much more serious shortcoming is that there are no stone paths leading to the lake, so people with wheelchairs or strollers cannot enjoy the lake up close. This, along with the roadside benches, would be good to replace.

Website:
The logo and the slogan are very creative, the site is pleasantly cheerful, but unfortunately the website is not accessible. There is not even a separate accessible menu on the site.
Not well suited for mobile phones, designed for larger screen diagonals, only suitable for laptops. Not pleasant for people with sensory over-sensitivity, difficult to navigate, too much colour, flickering, constant movement, in several places the contrast is inadequate.
As visually impaired or blind, the site is of limited use. The hotels and restaurants are readable with a screen reader, but the events calendar is not. The images are not captioned or there are no replacement texts, so they cannot be seen or enjoyed by visually impaired or blind people.
Those who use a keyboard or tab to search the website may also find it more difficult to use the site, as there are too many clicks to get to certain parts.

Getting there:
by bus, buses depart from Pécs bus station to Orfű. You should choose a bus that goes to the stop called “Tekeres forduló”!
The Pécs bus station is accessible, you can read more about it here: https://peoplefirst.hu/en/directory/barrier-free-pecs/long-distance-bus-station/
The bus stop in Tekeres is barrier-free, with a concrete ramp leading to the bus stop level.
The timetable can be found here: https://menetrendek.hu/ If you need a bus with accessibility, please contact the traffic office in advance at 72/520-154.

by car, Orfű is 16 km from Pécs, about 20 minutes drive. There are two directions from Pécs: via Uranváros, towards Daindol. This is the most popular way, the bus also goes there. Or through the city centre on the Hunyadi road, towards the church of the Pálosok, over the hill on the Lapisi road. The roads to Orfű are serpentine in both directions, so expect that.
On site, in Tekeres, a good place to start on foot the above-mentioned Natura Pension, which has parking facilities in the vicinity. You can also find a description of the Natura Pension in our database.
If you are going the other way round, perhaps driving to Kovacsszénája, start towards Abaliget, then you can approach Kovácsszénája via Husztót. There is a large car park on the shore of the fishing lake. There is no barrier-free parking.

Pécs-Pogány Airport

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Most people think that in Hungary there is only an airport in Budapest, but this is not the case at all. There are five smaller cities you can fly to or from, one of which is Pécs. Pécs-Pogány Airport serves the needs of the whole region.

Why is there an airport in Pécs?
It is not a new thing, Pécs was already on the aeronautical map of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918, the first airport in Pécs was built in the area of the present-day Uránváros district. The start of air traffic in Pécs was the result of an exemplary initiative by the people of Pécs: on 20 May 1929, a very well-attended flying day was held in Pécs, after which the people of Pécs donated enough money to buy 3 civil aircraft.
From 1931, the Budapest-Kaposvár-Pécs flight was already in operation. In the spring of 1956, the airport was moved from Uránváros to its present location. In 1969, however, scheduled domestic civil air traffic stopped completely in Hungary, and after that Pécs airport served only sports purposes.
In 2003 the change started, when the 1500 m long runway was built and holiday flights to Vienna, Corfu and Bulgaria started, but unfortunately only for a while. In February 2024, it was announced that the Maltese Universal Air would launch long-term flights from Pécs to Munich, Malta and Corfu from the end of March. Here we are.

Accessibility:
We were able to access the Pécs-Pogány Airport before its reopening, during the renovation works at the beginning of March 2024. The first Universal Air flight took off on 26 March 2024. The complete renovation of the building was almost completed, with accessibility improvements also being taken into account, although not yet fully. The airport operator is waiting for your comments and ideas, and we are also in discussions with the management, which is also very open to improvements in this direction. So it’ s worth watching the updates here!
The entrance to the building is barrier-free, as is the ground floor service area. The flooring is smooth artificial stone with accentuated different colours to assist visually impaired passengers, but there are no tactile signs for blind passengers. For the time being, there is no Braille subtitles on the signs, in the lifts or in the toilets.
The accessible toilet is located on the ground floor and is fully compliant with the design. The door cannot be locked from the inside.
The information desk is located on the ground floor, part of which consists of lower tables accessible from a wheelchair. There is currently no induction loop for hearing impaired passengers. Here you will find the baggage check-in and the ckeck-in, which leads to the spacious lounge. The waiting area also has plain, contrasting-colour floor tiling, no tactile signs, and no accessible toilets.

Boarding from here is via the ground floor lounge,through a threshold-free, barrier-free door. The walkway to the concrete walkway is also rounded and recessed. The concrete walkways outside have been refurbished and are smooth.

Stairs and a lift lead up to the first floor. The lift is comfortable and wide, with enough space for up to two wheelchairs. There is no Braille on the buttons inside or outside, and there is no audible announcement to assist blind passengers. The restaurant and terrace are located upstairs, as the non-accessible toilets. Access to the restaurant is barrier-free, the restaurant was not yet equipped at the time of our visit. However, the terrace is accessed by a several centimetre high landing, which makes it impossible to get there with a wheelchair, with a stroller or a cane. A ramp solution would be necessary in the near future.

For disabled passengers, the protocol for flying with Universal Air is available at the bottom of the website in the “Customer Service” section. According to this:
“Special Assistance Services. We’re here to support passengers needing extra help, including: Wheelchair Support: Mobility should never be a barrier to travel.
Sensory Assistance: For those with hearing or visual impairments.
Invisible Disabilities: We’re trained and ready to accommodate your needs. Please let our call centre know at least 48 hours before your flight if you require special assistance. Call us on +356 212 55 212.”
The boarding of wheelchair passengers has been specifically agreed between Universal Air and the management of Pécs-Pogány Airport. According to them, there are two solutions for the planes operating here: an 8-9 m ramp that can be connected to the otherwise low door of the aircraft, with an inclination of only 6-7 degrees. Alternatively, a forklift enclosed hoist, also directly connected to the door. The tendering and regulatory approval process for both options was launched on 12 April, so a solution will be found in May 2024.

The airport management is making every effort to ensure that accessibility will improve in the near future. To this end, they have asked for the help of experts from the People First Public Benefit Association. In response to this honourable request, we will continue to discuss possibilities and needs in the near future. Sensitisation training for airport staff has also been scheduled.

About flying:
From 26 March 2024, Universal Air Dash 8-400 turbo 78-seat aircraft will fly from Pécs. This is not a “low-cost airline”, so snacks and refreshments will be served on board.
The routes are: from March 2024 on Tuesdays and Fridays to Malta and Munich. From 5 June onwards, there will be even more frequent flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with Corfu as an additional destination.

UPDATE:
As promised, we have contacted the airport management again. It is worth mentioning that it was their own request to help make the airport even more accessible and inclusive, which we thank them for. So, in early June 2024, together with the managing director of the airport, we explored the possibilities with our rehabilitation engineer.
The airport has changed since the handover and the start of operations:
The buffet has opened in the upstairs restaurant, the furniture has not yet arrived, and no ramp has yet been added to the stairs leading to the terrace.
After checking in, a small buffet is available for use while waiting. There is no accessible toilet here, but disabled people can use the accessible toilet on the ground floor if necessary with with assistance.
For wheelchair access to aircraft, a “hydraulic wheelchair” solution has been developed and will arrive at Pécs-Pogányi airport in the coming days. It is a wheelchair which – accompanied by appropriate assistance -, can climb the stairs leading to the aircraft on its own and also offers the possibility of being used in the aircraft, i.e. transported to a permanent seat.
More accessibility changes are coming with the help of our specialist engineer, keep following the updates here!

Website:
As this is an airport where online booking and information is key, we have analysed the website in detail with our experts.

The airport website (https://www.airportpecs.hu/) is currently not perfect from an accessibility point of view. Clickable buttons, embedded frames and links do not tell you what the button does or what action it performs. The background and foreground colours do not have the right contrast ratio, making it difficult to read or perceive the content.
According to visually impaired user testing, airportpecs.hu is currently able to read the timetable on the home page, view airport details, contact the relevant people, be interpreted by screen reader software and be accessible. Other information cannot be followed by visually impaired or blind people for the reasons described above. In the “Downloadable documents” sub-menu of the website, the so-called traffic maps are in pdf format and contain information that is not readable for the visually impaired. The website is structured with headings to make navigation easier, a welcome practice.

The online ticketing site www.flyuniversalair.com is also available in several languages on the Universal Air website. Unfortunately, the accessibility of this is not yet satisfactory, as it lacks support for screen readers. The links here also do not contain any text or information to help users understand where the link leads. Listings and numbered lists on the site are not readable for visually impaired people with screen readers. As a visually impaired person, the departure and destination can be entered on the booking page, but the departure date field and the number of passengers field cannot be handled by the screen reader. All in all, as a blind person it is not possible to buy a flight ticket independently with a screen reader.

The up-to-date Facebook page of Pécs-Pogány Airport is available here: https://www.facebook.com/pecspoganyrepter/

Getting there:
The Pécs-Pogány Airport is located 9 kilometres southeast of the city centre, next to the village of Pogány. The Municipality of Pécs offers passengers a lot of assistance in finding their way easily.

By car, you can get there in 10 minutes from the city centre via the Kertváros district on the 58 road. Free parking is available at the entrance to the airport or in the car park a few metres away, with a total of around 80 parking spaces. In this car park, which is a little further away, 4 barrier-free accessible parking spaces have been created. Access to the entrance is via a barrier-free walkway. However, the pavement is sunken and bumpy in one place, which was photographed and reported to the airport operator.

By bus, the city bus company operates free services on flight days. They pick up passengers via the Fellbach Street, Árkád shopping centre, Market Hall, Railway Station and take about 10-15 minutes to reach the airport entrance. According to the information received from the city bus company, the Pécs-Pogány airport bus service is operated by a low-floor, i.e. accessible, solo bus. Timetable.
For those arriving from the Pécs area, the long-distance buses will stop directly in front of the airport.

By taxi: under the agreement with Volántaxi, passengers are transported from Pécs or the surroundings of Pécs at a fixed fare.

Car rental: the airport will offer this service in the near future.

We welcome your own experiences of accessibility at Pécs-Pogányi Airport in the comments here.

Misina Tetőpont

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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.

Support Service University of Pécs

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The University of Pécs has been focusing on students with special educational needs since 1999. In the summer of 2005, for the first time in the country, a Support Service was established to facilitate the lives of students and teachers with disabilities.

The head office of perhaps the largest university Support Service of the Hungary is located on the campus of the University of Pécs on Ifjúság Road, on the ground floor of Building “A”.
In their office, a computer room with internet, free printing and photocopying facilities helps students learn. Between classes, students can relax in the rehabilitation room, which also functions as a first aid room. What is equally important: the “headquarters” of the Support Service also functions as a 38 square meter community space, a kind of leisure center, where students with disabilities can meet each other or their peers who are interested and want to help.
Foreign volunteers are also regularly accepted.

Their services include passenger transport by barrier-free minibus from Monday to Friday from 6.00 to 22.00, labour market counselling, mental health and special education counselling, international mobility programs for students, physiotherapy.

Since the premises of the Support Service were intended from the very beginning to be a community space for people with disabilities, we are greeted with a good accessibility experience in the office.

To get to the office:
There are stairs at the main entrance, there is no ramp here. To the main entrance, the paving stone pavement once had tactile marks for the visually impaired, but today they are worn out and unusable.
Barrier-free access is possible through the entrance of Building “A”, gate “C”, from Pacsirta Street. Here you will find a ramp with a suitable inclination, which can be used to access the front door even with a manual wheelchair. The door is not barrier-free, as it is not photocelled and has a relatively heavy door puller on top. In most cases, help is needed here for wheelchair users.

As soon as you roll through the door, you can move completely autonomously within the building to the service office in a wheelchair. From the entrance to the Support Service office, the tactile guide lane for the visually impaired is clearly visible. In addition, a guide lane leads to the elevators, the reception, the service office, and the cloakroom on the way to the Support Service.

The front door of the service office is a large security, fire door without a threshold that opens inward. Wheelchair access is not a problem, as you just have to push the door in. Outwardly, however, it is difficult to pull towards us, so help is needed here. The staff of the service will be happy to help us with this.

Entering through the door, we come to a wide, straight corridor.
Immediately opposite there is a spacious barrier-free toilet with changing table and alarm bells. In addition, a washing machine for students was placed here.

Leaving the toilet, turning to the right, the next room is a small kitchen. Here the corridor rises a little, but it can also be rolled up without problems in a manual wheelchair. Further down the corridor, on the right hand side is the rehabilitation room, then the office of the Head of Support Services, at the end of the corridor. Opposite is the central part of the office, where the staff of the service are waiting for the students. This room also serves as a community space for students.
The rooms are equipped with an information board with Braille inscriptions.

In the corridor, there is a guide lane from the entrance to the common area, but it does not protrude from the floor, so it will not help us with a white stick. It can be useful for people with low vision due to its different color. For blind people, the wall is more of a guide.

The communal area also has a built-in and mobile induction loop to help the hearing impaired.

Website:
Unfortunately, the site is not technically accessible. Background and foreground colors do not have sufficient contrast ratios, which can be a problem for people with low vision. Image elements do not have [alt] attributes, i.e. captions, so they cannot be used by visually impaired people. The links don’t have recognizable names, and text frame titles are missing, making them difficult to use with screen readers. The zoom function does not work.

Getting there:
by bus, lines 30, 30Y, 55, 103 to the “Ifjúság útja” stop, from here it is a 300-meter walk (4-5 minutes) to the barrier-free entrance from Pacsirta Street. Or take buses 2, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 102 to the “Egyetemváros” bus stop, from here it is 600 meters (8-10 minutes) on foot, but you have to go up a steeper street (Honvéd Street). In most cases, buses are low-floor and have loud announcing.
The sidewalks on Ifjúság Road are barrier-free on both sides, paved with paving stone and asphalt. There are two pedestrian crossings on this section, one directly at the bus stop and one at the Honvéd Street intersection. Both are barrier-free, with deepened benches and tactile signs for the visually impaired. The pavement on Pacsirta Street is not barrier-free, it is fragmented in many places. On this 30-meter stretch, wheelchair users should roll on the road instead.

by car, it can be reached from the Árkád mall in 8-10 minutes and on Ifjúság Road. In front of the entrance of the “400 ágyas klinika” (400-bed clinic) there are 5 disabled parking lots. From here, 50 meters is the entrance to the university on flat terrain.

People First

A Társadalmi Elfogadásért Magyarországi Központi Közhasznú Egyesület

Archives

Cutler Gym & Fitness Pécs

Atrium Guesthouse

Guesthouse of Bandi bá

Sports hall

Meseerdő/Fairytale forest

Cella Septichora Visitor Centre

Tekeres-Kovácsszénája bike lane

Pécs-Pogány Airport

Misina Tetőpont

Support Service University of Pécs