Pálvölgyi Caves
Tucked up in District II, these show caves are a part of the Duna-Ipoly National Park and are known for their beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations. The Pálvölgyi Caves are easy to reach by public transport and are open to visitors via guided tours running each hour, lasting around 40 minutes. For those wanting to try some caving in Budapest it's important to know that the tours involve going up and down ladders and steps, but there is no need for any special equipment.
Open: Tuesday – Sunday: 10.15am- 4.15pm
Price: 1 400 HUF (full price) / 1 100 HUF (reduced)
Address: 1025 Budapest, Szépvölgyi Road 162
Phone: +36 1 325 9505Mátyáshegyi Caves In 2001, the connection between the Pálvölgy Cave system and the caves under Mátyás Hill were discovered - together making a 30 kilometre network of caves. This is the second longest underground cave system in Hungary! Getting into these caves is a little trickier since they’re undeveloped, but if you’re willing to put on a jumpsuit and get down and dirty with a spot of spelunking, then you can take part in a memorable Budapest caving trip that runs out of the Pálvölgyi visitors centre.
Open: Tours are arranged on an individual basis, but the minimum number of participants is 5. Contact Caving Under Budapest tours to schedule an excursion.
Price: 6 000 HUF (adults) / 5 000 HUF (children)
Address: 1025 Budapest, Szépvölgyi Road 162
Phone:
+36 1 325 9505 Semlőhegyi Caves
These caves might be in the same neighbourhood as Pálvölgy and Mátyás Hill, but unlike the Pálvölgyi Caves, you won’t find any stalactites or stalagmites here. Rather you’ll find steep cave walls lined with crystals and minerals. This crystal cave has even earned the nickname the “Underground Flower Garden” for its floral mineral forms. The Semlőhegyi Cave system is also accessible for wheelchair users as well.
Open: Monday, Wednesday-Sunday: 10am-4pm
Price: 1 300HUF (full price) / 1 000HUF (reduced) / 2 000HUF (combined ticket with Pálvölgyi Caves)
Address: 1025 Budapest, Pusztaszeri Road 35
Phone: +36 1 325 6001Buda Castle Labyrinth
Underneath Buda Castle there are a network of natural tunnels, chambers and secrets lurking below that were once inhabited in prehistoric times. However, there are some dark tales haunting these caves. One famous legend is that Vlad Tepes, known better to you and me as Dracula, was once tortured and imprisoned here. A visit to the Buda Castle Labyrinth offers a rather campy trip, complete with smoke machines and wax figures, but for an extra spooky experience come back after 6, when you can explore the caves by just the light of an oil lantern. Spooky!
Open: Monday-Sunday: 10am-7pm
Price: 2 000HUF (full-price) / 1 500HUF (reduced) / 600 HUF (children)
Address: 1014 Budapest Úri Street 9/1014
Phone:
+36 1 212 0207Hospital in the Rock
Even though Hospital in the Rock joins onto the Buda Castle Labyrinth, the tunnels here are actually man-made. It once functioned as an underground hospital in WWII, most notably during the Siege of Budapest, but it also became a secret nuclear bunker during the Cold War. Today, the Hospital in the Rock museum is an immersive trip back in time that you can take by guided tour.
Open:
Every day 10am - 8pm
Price: 3 600HUF (full-price) / 1 800HUF (discount)
Address: 1012 Budapest, Lovas Street 4/C
Phone: +36 70 701 0101The Cave Church at Gellért Hill
Gellért Hill is a famous for its views from the Citadel, but if you’d rather see it from a different angle, then head down to the cave church in St. Iván’s Cave. You can access it opposite the entrance to the Gellért Baths. The caves housed a monastery in the 1920s, until the Soviet Red Army sealed them up in 1945. Since reopening in 1989, the caves function as a church. The Cave Church is worth visiting when you explore the rest of the Gellért Hill.
Open: Monday – Friday and Sunday, 8:30am - 8pm
Price:
500 HUF (full price) / 400 HUF (reduced)
Phone: +36 20 775 2472
Address:
1114 Budapest, Szent Gellért Rakpart 1.
(Cover image by Caving Under Budapest)
