The main attraction of Aggtelek is its caves. There are over 700 caves in the Aggtelek National Park, ranging from the very small to the very large. The caves were placed on UNESCO’s World Natural and Cultural Heritage List in 1995 and many of them are open to the public.
The best known and most visited cave is the Baradla Cave. It’s not just the largest cave in Aggtelek, it’s actually the largest cave in the country. It’s also got a reputation as the most spectacular. Its total length is just under 26km and was formed in by water eroding Triassic age lime stone — limestone is easily dissolved by rainwater, so inside it looks like a Swiss cheese. As well as these holes there are stalactites and stalagmites in a huge variety of different colours and sizes.
The hall of giants – Aggtelek – Hungary
Touring these caves is one of the most interesting things to do in Aggtelek. The Aggtelek National Park Directorate has several different cave tours lasting 1, 2, 5 or 7 hours. Each tour visits different parts of the cave with different difficulties.
Once you’ve finished exploring underground you should try taking a look overground; there are many hiking routes that will give you views of the beautiful Hungarian countryside.
Inside of a wonderful cave, at Aggtelek, in Hungary
When you visit Aggtelek there are many places to stay; a hotel near the park headquarters and many B&Bs. There is also a very decent hostel. There are also lots of restaurants to try, serving both local specialities and more tourist friendly food.
