Veszprém’s castle quarter leans into winter with hushed streets, bell chimes drifting over Baroque facades, and guided walks that unlock spaces usually off-limits. On December 27–28, and again on December 29–30, the Archdiocesan Tourism Center runs special tours that thread through the Archbishop’s Palace, chapels, and newly added underground sites, giving visitors a feel for the intellectual and spiritual continuity that has shaped the City of Queens for a thousand years. All tours start outside the Biró–Giczey House at Vár utca 31, the Baroque gateway to the quarter with a garden, a gift shop, and free exhibitions, including the “Exhibition of the Year 2025” winner Bogáncs és liliom – Magdolnák virágai.
Three Daily Departures and Two Themed Routes
Weekends bring three start times: 11:30, 14:00, and 16:00. The routes split into two themes. The Light and Devotion Walk pairs the Archbishop’s Palace with the Gizella Chapel at 11:30 and 16:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. A Thousand Years’ Path steps into St. Michael’s Cathedral (Szent Mihály), its crypt, and St. George’s Chapel (Szent György) at 14:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Each tour runs about 60 minutes, max 25 people per group, so it pays to arrive 10–15 minutes early.
New: Down to the Crypt, Back to the 10th Century
The big news this season is access to St. Michael’s Cathedral’s (Szent Mihály) crypt and the excavated remains of St. George’s Chapel (Szent György). The crypt layers the city’s story in stone: the 14th-century Gothic sanctuary, the Baroque tomb of Bishop Márton Padányi Bíró, and a restored interior where the quiet under the vaults feels suspended in time. Outside, on the cathedral’s north side, St. George’s Chapel reveals the foundations of a 10th-century rotunda. Tradition holds that Prince Saint Emeric made his vow at the altar of the Virgin here. In the Middle Ages, the chapel drew pilgrims for a powerful reason: it guarded the skull relic of Saint George, a gift from the Byzantine emperor to King Saint Stephen.
Inside Spaces You Can’t See Alone
Guided tours unlock sites otherwise closed to solo visitors:
– Archbishop’s Palace: Baroque interiors, renewed rooms, standout artworks.
– Gizella Chapel: a quiet, early sacred space with surviving fresco fragments that pull the air back to the Middle Ages.
– St. Michael’s Cathedral and crypt (Szent Mihály): the city’s defining silhouette above, its medieval bones below.
– St. George’s Chapel (Szent György): an ancient memory at the heart of the castle hill, accessible only with a guide.
Free Exhibitions at the Biró–Giczey House
All exhibitions are free during opening hours. The headline show is Bogáncs és liliom – Magdolnák virágai, awarded Exhibition of the Year 2025, bringing Mary Magdalene to life through artifacts, prints, and contemporary reflections, framed by thoughts from Blessed Mária Magdolna Bódi. The “Pantry Exhibition” dips into the cathedral’s past with Baroque objects, liturgical items, and century-old photographs. “Nem káptalan a fejem” is an interactive, playful primer on who the canons were and how the Veszprém chapter worked. The archaeology exhibition tracks centuries of settlement atop the castle hill through striking installations.
Holiday Hours and Regular Schedule
The Biró–Giczey House closes December 22–26. From December 27–30 (Saturday–Tuesday), it’s open 10:00–18:00, and on December 31 (Wednesday), 10:00–15:00. Outside holidays, exhibitions run Tuesday–Friday 17:00–19:00 and Saturday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, with Mondays closed. The gift shop opens Saturday–Sunday 10:00–18:00.
Tickets, Prices, and Where to Buy
Pick up tour tickets at the Biró–Giczey House gift shop, paying by cash or card. Prices:
– Adult: USD 9.50
– Student/Senior: USD 8.70
– Family (2 adults + 1–3 kids): USD 19.00
– Pilgrim ticket (with parish recommendation): USD 6.80
Group size is capped at 25; arriving a touch early helps you secure a spot.
Weekend Timing at a Glance
On December 27–28 and again on December 29–30, three departures run daily at 11:30, 14:00, and 16:00. The Light and Devotion Walk covers the Archbishop’s Palace and the Gizella Chapel at 11:30 and 16:00. A Thousand Years’ Path explores the cathedral, the crypt, and St. George’s Chapel (Szent György) at 14:00. All tours set off from the Biró–Giczey House.
Why Winter Suits the Castle Quarter
There’s a special tone to the quarter this time of year. Soft light skims Baroque cornices, Holy Trinity Square (Szentháromság tér) settles into a calm hum, and the bells carry down the side streets. If you’ve only ever strolled Vár utca at street level, these walks shift the perspective—into polished palace rooms, into chapels that anchor the city’s Christian memory, and now down to the crypt where time feels stacked underfoot. The castle hill shows itself whole: architecture, faith, art, and archaeology stitched into a compact, hour-long journey that feels bigger than the map.
Essential Details
– Meeting point: Biró–Giczey House, Vár u. 31., Veszprém.
– Duration: about 60 minutes.
– Capacity: max 25 per group.
– The schedule can shift with liturgical and other events; check the event calendar for updates.
– Free exhibitions at the Biró–Giczey House: Tuesday–Friday 17:00–19:00; Saturday–Sunday 10:00–18:00; Monday closed.
The castle district shows its treasures in full for those who walk it end to end—and in winter, the story lands even deeper.
