Tucked away underneath the castle hill of Budapest lies an intricate series of tunnels worthy of a David Bowie film. Read our guide on why you should go, what you should expect, how much you’ll pay and how to skip the queue.

understand

The underground maze beneath the Castle Hill of Budapest was originally built during the Middle Ages as a shelter. However, after subsequent invasions, they later became a Turkish harem and were finally used as a hospital during WWII. The tunnels were identified as being the best place to avoid bombs during the war, and many locals intelligently hid out here during air raids. However, importantly for us, the Labyrinth became a tourist attraction in 1984 and has been in use on-and-off ever since. Today, the labyrinth itself is a series of winding, interconnected passageways that snake for several kilometres beneath the castle complex. The passage system will take you between large cellars, small crawl spaces, into large throne rooms and through large sections in utter darkness - all of which is fairly spooky.

The tunnels are lined by a series of exhibitions; several rooms have busts and statues of Hungarian kings and nobility, while a series of exhibitions in the prison section of the labyrinth is dedicated to Hungarian stage costumes - a bit bizarre, but enjoyable nonetheless. Visiting the labyrinth can be done at any time of the year, and can be done without a tour - though oil lamp tours are offered at sunset for those looking for a spookier experience.

WHY GO

In a town packed with over saturated tourist hot spots, the labyrinth beneath Buda Castle Hill is a breath of fresh air. Not literally though - the air down there is what you’d expect - musty and damp. However, the experience of exploring the wandering passageways beneath the castle is an unforgettable one. There’s no map or guidebook to the labyrinth tunnels; you simply follow unclear signs through foggy, damp chambers dotted with mannequins that wouldn’t look out of place in a BBC period piece. Midway through the adventure, you’ll come to the Maze of Darkness. Hold onto the green garden hose and walk through pitch blackness for about five minutes. Don’t let go of the hose, or you’ll end up lost amongst historical prison cells that haven’t been remodeled yet to be safe for tourists. Seriously.

Toward the end, you’ll walk past “Dracula’s chamber,” where a coffin is cast in eerie blue light. This is the location where Vlad the Impaler (the inspiration for Dracula) is said to have been imprisoned and tortured for 14 years. You can climb into the torture chamber (should you want to). I was genuinely surprised by how much fun the experience was - especially when wandering the pitch dark section of the labyrinth. It was fairly eerie, and well worth the price of admission. We didn’t come upon many other tourists whilst in there, and both left somewhat elucidated about the history of Dracula, at the very least.

While the experience can be somewhat busy during the high-season, it is well worth doing - you won’t find a more unique perspective for the Buda Castle hill, and you’ll struggle to find a more bizarre experience in town. Thoroughly recommended.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

The Buda Labyrinth is located on Buda Castle Hill at Úri u. 9, 1014, Budapest. You’ll find the entrance in a little gate by the wall on the street running towards the castle.
The opening hours are from Monday - Sunday: 10 am - 7 pm.
The full-fare for entry is 3000 HUF (10 USD). Students/PensionersTeachers can get in for 2500 HUF (8 USD).
Visiting the labyrinth will take at least an hour.
Don’t wear clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty and possibly muddy. While you won’t be crawling at any point, this is a cave complex, so you’ll come across puddles, wet walls and some dirt.
If planning on visiting, make sure you bring cash, as they don’t accept any payment by card.
Parts of the labyrinth will involve you walking through complete darkness (see above). As such, this might not be suitable for children, depending on how resilient they are. My advice? I have none, definitely not a parent. If your kid hates the dark, don’t take them.