Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum

Why visit: history, Castle Hill cave

The Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum (Sziklakórház Atombunker Múzeum) is part of an approximately 6-mile (10-km) stretch of interconnected caves and cellars beneath Buda Castle Hill. This museum is dedicated to a former secret emergency hospital and nuclear bunker.

The history of the emergency hospital goes back to World War II, when Castle District was part of the Government Quarter. The caves and tunnels were connected and fortified and used as an air raid shelter. On the orders of the Mayor of Budapest an emergency surgical hospital was also built within the caves beneath Buda Castle Hill. The hospital was actively used during WW II until July 1945 and then during the 1956 Revolution to treat wounded civilians and soldiers. Between 1958 and 1962 it was expanded to withstand potential chemical and nuclear attacks during the Cold War. The "Hospital in the Rock – Secret Emergency Hospital and Nuclear Bunker" opened to the public in 2008.

One-hour guided tours, available in Hungarian and English, depart every hour. Other parts of the Castle Hill cave system can be toured at the Labyrinth.

Getting to the Hospital in the Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum: The museum's entrance is on Lovas utca just beneath the Tóth Árpád sétány at Szentháromság utca. The closest bus stop is at Szentháromság tér. Take bus 16, 16A or 116, also called Várbusz, from Széll Kálmán tér (formerly Moszkva tér), Deák tér or Dísz tér.

Opening hours:
Monday - Sunday: 10 am to 8 pm (the last tour starts at 7 pm)