MaNDAHungarian National Digital Archive

Our country abounds in caves, whose mysteriousness and the spectacularity of their stalactite and rock formations, sometimes mineral outcrops and prehistoric remains make them an attractive tourist destination. The history of cave exploration in Hungary goes back several centuries, and our exhibition is going to look at the main stages in the history of caving, with a special focus on the most famous Hungarian cave, the World Heritage-listed Baradla, located in Aggtelek National Park.

Humankind came a long way in the past centuries; we have tamed nature, we have walked on the moon, yet we still gaze with inexplicable awe at the remaining wonders of the ancient world, such as the pyramid of Cheops. It was no different at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the images of the Uránia Association, a renowned organiser of educational lectures of the period, which form the backbone of our selection. 

Máriabesnyő is one of the best-known pilgrimage sites in Hungary, with the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady as its main attraction. Legend has it that in the 18th century, during the construction of the church, a statue of Mary was found, which made the village a place of pilgrimage. Count Antal Grassalkovich created the ecclesiastical complex around which the village was built, which has been part of Gödöllő since 1965, and today the two parts of the town are fully integrated. 

Organised tourism is a relatively new activity, founded by Thomas Cook, who established the great-tradition Cook Travel Agency in 1845. Tourism has a rich history, of course, as good guides have been in demand since ancient times. In our current selection, we focus on IBUSZ, a major player in the Hungarian tourism industry.

A unique experience in the historic part of Karlovy Vary is to stroll through the colonnades with a beaky mug and taste the waters of the various springs, with their different tastes and temperatures, while nibbling on a bathing waffle and walking through the closed row of buildings along the riverside, from the oddly towering Thermal Hotel to the Grandhotel Pupp, known as Casino Royale.