Hungary awaits: Family experiences for young and old on the Mecsek hill-sides

Throw yourself right into the hustle and bustle of the "Normafa" of Pécs, the Misina roof that offers unforgettable experiences! The zigzagging zoo (officially known as the Pécs Zoo and Aquarium-Terrarium) climbing up the hillside is truly a "wilderness above the town", where about 1,800 wild animals, including white Bengal tigers, red pandas, chatty parrots and hippos, await the admiring gaze. In the 100,000-litre aquarium, you can see a reef shark, and in the terrarium, colourful reptiles and amphibians.

Photo: Pécs Zoo

After the animal experiences, you can take the Mecsek Light Railway between the zoo and Dömörkapu, children are guaranteed to love the locomotive named Muki and the nostalgic trains. At Dömörkapu, the newest family attraction in Pécs, the free-to-visit Fairy-tale Forest, awaits little explorers with 12 stations. The tale of Levente Császár and Éva Radnai, King Dömör, takes you through the giants' room, the fairies' village or the throne room. The Flora's rocking chair is a deservedly popular selfie spot, with the stunning panorama in the background.

Returning to the zoo, a small handrail is in order, as a visit to Pécs would not be complete without visiting the iconic TV tower! The winding, yellow-marked tourist path leads to the building on the Misina roof. The tallest building in the country stretches 197 metres high, and you can take an elevator to the panoramic lookout tower and restaurant to enjoy the view of the forest-covered ranges of the Mecsek, Zengő and Villányi Mountains 500 meters above the town. The area around the tower has recently been renovated. At the Misina Rooftop – Family and Movement Centre, you can enjoy the view from a canopy stage, and there is also a café and skybar, right next to the playground.

Photo: Márk Kincses

Forest bobsleigh, alpine rope courses of varying difficulty, Tyrolean slides, snow tubing, an adventure castle and many other exciting opportunities await adventurous visitors at MEX, or Mecsextrém Park, on Árpádtető, where you can spend an entire day. It is also worth giving in to the temptation of the nearby Mecsek Discovery Center, which offers an extremely rich content in a small space. Let's peek among the deer with VR glasses, learn everything about Mecsek on the digital terrain table, and sit in the story nook for a rest.

The Dinosaur Park in Pécs, which opens in August, invites you to the area around Malomvölgyi Lake, which offers a great excursion opportunity in itself. Here you can see a total of 41 different dinosaur species, including the Komlosaurus found in Mecsek, in a forest environment. As a conclusion, take a walk around the lake and climb up to the lookout tower.

Photo: Dinosaurus Park of Pécs

The Tettye Limestone Cave, which can be visited with a guide, is a chilling experience and a good choice even in bad weather, with terrifying dragon installations and educational materials in the passages.