Buda Labyrinth

Buda Labyrinth is a network of many small underground caves located in Budapest, directly in the hill under Buda Castle. The total length of the available dungeons is about 1200 m, they lie at a depth of 15 m from the surface. Initially, apparently, some of the caves were washed with water from hot springs, of which there are a fair amount in the capital of Hungary, and then this network of natural caves was expanded and settled by man.

 Hungarian scientists claim that the caves of the Buda Labyrinth were inhabited by ancient people back in the Paleolithic. In the Middle Ages, the caves were used by enterprising Hungarians as cellars, storage rooms and wine cellars, and some, especially gifted, built personal dungeons there. Guides like to say that in those days, almost every inhabitant of Buda Hill had a personal small cave to use.

 

In the 30s of the XX century, there was an underground military hospital, and during the Second World War, the Buda Labyrinth was used in the interests of the German garrison. It is said that during the time of socialism, the then Hungarian leadership built several fortified concrete bunkers here. In 1996-1997 The labyrinth underwent a large-scale reconstruction - they tried to remove all modern artifacts from it and bring it almost to its original form (the lighting, however, was left).

 

The entrance to the Buda Labyrinth is located in an inconspicuous house at Úri utca, 9. From the entrance, the stairs go down sharply, and you find yourself in an underground cafe with a ticket counter. Buy a ticket and go into the dungeon. The winding, intricate corridors lead you into small rooms lit only by dim lamps. The design of the rooms is varied - there are "pseudo-ancient" rock paintings, and stone statues, and limestone sculptures of Hungarian national heroes and characters from fairy tales, and modernized installations of ancient legends, and an alleged archaeological museum with supposedly ice cubes, into which either a mobile phone or a radio tape is frozen 50s, then in general, God knows what. Sometimes the sound of a metronome or medieval music begins to spread through the narrow corridors, which also leaves its mark on the perception of the entire underground attraction. The most interesting thing begins at 6 pm: the central lighting in the labyrinth is turned off, and tourists wander around it only with kerosene lamps in their hands. Full immersion in the Middle Ages, in general.

 

There is a separate interesting place in the labyrinth - the Matthias Fountain. This is the source of real dry red wine. It continuously pours from pretty taps in a thin stream. And although there is a sign near this fountain stating that this wine is not intended for drinking, many tourists come with their glasses and taste this supposedly "non-drinking" wine. Nobody seems to have died yet.

Unfortunately, in July 2011, this wonderful place was closed indefinitely. Kind of like, at the request of the Hungarian Committee for the Protection of Nature.