Tettyei Tufa Cave

The Tettye Travertine Cave sits in the Tettye district on the edge of Pécs, formed over the last ten thousand years as mineral-rich spring water deposited layers of porous limestone tufa. Unlike most show caves, it is a young, relatively soft formation rather than an ancient karst cavity. It was first opened to visitors in 1906 under the theatrical nickname 'Gateway to Hell,' complete with a model dragon meant to startle guests passing through — a novelty attraction typical of the era. The cave was shut in the 1920s and largely forgotten for decades before reopening in 2008 as an educational site. A thorough renovation in 2018 added interactive displays, sound effects and short films explaining how the tufa formed and how the cave was used historically. The interior holds a constant temperature of around 14°C, and guided walks through it take roughly 40 minutes.