Veszprém’s castle district is throwing open its doors—and crypts—for a winter season of guided walks that peel back a thousand years of history. Two curated routes lead visitors through gilded palaces, intimate chapels, and newly accessible underground spaces where the city’s story is carved in stone. Groups meet outside the Baroque jewel box of the Biró–Giczey House at Vár Street 31, with departures capped at 25 people and each tour running about 60 minutes. Bring your curiosity, and arrive 10–15 minutes early to secure a spot.
Two routes, one millennium
The Light and Devotion Walk threads an elegant line through the Érseki Palota (Archbishop’s Palace) and the hush of the Gizella Chapel, spotlighting sacred art and the city’s ceremonial heartbeat. The Thousand Years’ Path goes deeper—literally—adding Szent Mihály Főszékesegyház (St. Michael’s Cathedral), its atmospheric undercroft, and the excavated remains of the Szent György (St. George) Chapel. Together, the routes map how faith, power, and craft have shaped the Queen of Cities across a thousand years.
When to go
Tours run year-round on Saturdays and Sundays at set times. The Light and Devotion Walk departs at 11:30 and 16:00. The Thousand Years’ Path leaves at 14:00. Exact times may shift due to liturgical or other events, so it’s smart to check the calendar. Special December dates include 2025.12.06–12.07, 12.13–12.14, 12.20–12.21, and 12.27–12.28, with departures at 11:30, 14:00, and 16:00 from the Biró–Giczey House.
Tickets and practicals
Buy tickets at the Biró–Giczey House gift shop (cash or card). Prices: Adult 3,500 HUF (about 9.68 USD), Student/Senior 3,200 HUF (about 8.85 USD), Family (2 adults + 1–3 children) 7,000 HUF (about 19.36 USD), Pilgrim ticket with parish recommendation 2,500 HUF (about 6.92 USD). Capacity is limited, so early arrival helps. The Biró–Giczey House also hosts free exhibitions and a garden: Tuesday–Friday 17:00–19:00, Saturday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, closed Monday. Address and meeting point: Biró–Giczey House, Vár St. 31, 8200 Veszprém.
New depths: cathedral and crypt
A major upgrade this season is access to St. Michael’s Cathedral’s undercroft. The Thousand Years’ Path now descends beneath the cathedral into a space of cool stone, softly curving vaults, and a silence that presses close. Above, the tour lingers over the 14th-century Gothic sanctuary and the Baroque tomb of Bishop Márton Padányi Bíró, restored to a luminous glow. The interior’s careful renovation makes the play of light on plaster and stone a draw in its own right—one of the year’s most transporting vignettes.
Szent György Chapel: roots of devotion
On the cathedral’s north side stands the Szent György (St. George) Chapel, among the oldest landmarks of Hungarian Christianity. Archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of its original 10th-century rotunda, turning a palimpsest of rubble into a legible timeline. Tradition holds that Prince Imre (Emeric) made his vow here before the altar of the Virgin Mary, an act that hovers over the site with a quiet charge. In the Middle Ages, the chapel was a coveted stop for pilgrims: it guarded a head relic of St. George, a gift from the Byzantine emperor to King Stephen. If the undercroft whispers, this hillside oratory sings of beginnings.
Biró–Giczey House: the elegant hub
Think of the Biró–Giczey House as the castle district’s salon—Baroque architecture outside, a warm welcome within. Between tours, browse the gift shop, step into the exhibitions, or catch your breath in the garden. Then follow your guide into the lanes where stone remembers, and where Veszprém’s long continuity—of crowns, faith, and craft—unfurls in real time.
