5+1 most beautiful caves to discover in Hungary this summer
Hungary is full of hiking trails and national parks that are popular tourist destinations in summer. However, for those who have already explored all traditional travel destinations, something new may be of interest: caving can provide the new experience you are looking for this summer. Read on to discover the most beautiful caves in Hungary!
The Hungarian National Cave Register currently lists 4,131 caves in the country. Although many of them are less than 10 metres long, there are still several significant caves in Hungary. As pointed out by the Ariadne Karst and Cave Research Association, the total length of Hungarian caves exceeds 272 kilometres, with 36 reaching 1 kilometre in length. Of these, the longest Hungarian cave, the Pál Valley Cave, is about 30 km long.
Several lists of the most beautiful, unmissable caves in the country are circulating on the Internet. Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu, turistamagazin.hu, and hellovidek.hu have all written their own picks for travel. Here, we collected which caves have made it to the top of these lists to make decisions regarding future excursions easier.
1. The Aggtelek Karst cavern systems
Perhaps the country’s most famous stalactite sights, extending into Slovakia as well as Hungary, the cave system has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995. Formed about 2 million years ago through flowing water eroding the limestone, the Baradla Cave is the most prominent, popular, longest, and most spectacular cavern not only in the region but also in the whole of Hungary with a total length of 25 kilometres.
There are several cave tours to choose from, from the 60-minute Aggtelek short tour to the longer 4–5-hour tour. The Aggtelek National Park covers an area of nearly 20,000 hectares so that visitors can explore the surface, too, besides the underground.
2. Csévi Cave, Pilis
Csévi Cave is located in the Pilis Mountains, north of Budapest. The cave is 104 metres long and is open to the public but is under ecological protection. By the light of a head torch, you have to descend a few steep metres, avoiding rubble in the dark, to get through the limestone cave. The narrow clearings in the rim above the cavity offer a beautiful and substantial panorama.
3. Körös Cave, Bükk
Another protected area is the Körös Cave, also known as the Körös Hole, located in the Bükk National Park in the southeast of Hungary. It is the highest-altitude cave in Hungary.
It is 42 metres wide and around 8 metres high. In the part of the cavern closer to the entrance, a large horn opens up to the sky, which is a natural source of light during the day and provides access to the area without a torch. The cave is open to the public.
4. Tapolca Lake Cave
Around 14 million years old, the Lake Cave is located below Tapolca, near the northern shore of Lake Balaton. Its total length is 3,280 metres, its depth is 16 metres from the entrance and it is formed by water seeping into the limestone cracks. It has been a protected area since 1982, due to its size and geological, morphological, and hydrological importance.
Most of the chasm is underwater and therefore closed to visitors, but the open parts are accessible by boat. It is the largest system of caves in the world that can be explored by boat. It takes about 1.5 hours to visit the visitor centre, with the boat ride lasting about 15 minutes.
When visiting, be prepared: the temperature inside is 20 Celsius and the relative humidity can be as high as 95-98%!
5. Csodabogyós Cave
The Csodabogyós (Currant) Cave is also located at Lake Balaton, in the Balaton-felvidéki National Park. It is the 9th longest cave in Hungary, spanning 6 kilometres. It takes its name from the thorny shrub that grows abundantly in the area.
The site is predominantly characterised by tight crevice passages, halls, and shafts. During the hike in the cave, in some spots, you can only walk on all fours or might even need to crawl to pass through. As the cave is not illuminated, visitors are provided with a helmet, caving overalls, and a headlamp.
The temperature is +9.5°C no matter the season, and the relative humidity is 100%. Access to the cave is only possible on foot, via a 40-minute walk. The cave hikes are guided, the basic tour takes about 1.5-2 hours, but there are also so-called extreme tours of 3.5-4 hours.
+1. Abaligeti Cave, Mecsek
The Abaligeti Cave is located in southwestern Hungary and is one of the best-known and most popular natural attractions in Mecsek. Its total length is 2000 metres, out of which the 466-metre main branch is accessible through a guided tour.
The cave’s climate, due to the 97% humidity and the anti-inflammatory calcium ions it contains, brings relief to people suffering from respiratory, allergic, and asthmatic diseases.
Next to the cave is the Bat Museum, which gives visitors an insight into the history of bat research, the tools used to study bats, and the main Hungarian habitats and migration routes of bats.
For other travel tips for the Summer, check out these articles: