Hidden in the side of Gellért Hill, just across from the famous Gellért Baths, you’ll find one of Budapest’s more unusual churches – the Rock Church, or Sziklatemplom. It’s not your typical place of worship. Built into a natural cave in the 1930s, this church blends history, faith and a quiet kind of beauty.

The Rock Church was inspired by the grotto in Lourdes, France. Inside its cool stone walls, there’s a statue of the Virgin Mary from Lourdes, a reminder of its roots. The idea to build it came from Hungarian pilgrims who had visited the French site and wanted something similar back home.

What makes this place special isn’t just its location – half-hidden in the rock – but its atmosphere. Thanks to the natural hot springs inside the hill, the temperature stays around 20°C year-round. Warm in winter, cool in summer.

The church is still run by the Pauline Order, Hungary’s only native monastic order. After more than a century in exile, they returned in the 1930s and moved into the monastery next door. One of their most treasured relics is here: a bone fragment from Saint Paul the Hermit, their spiritual founder.

During World War II, many Polish refugees found comfort here. The church even has a Polish chapel with symbols from both nations – a quiet nod to shared history and struggles.

Things weren’t always peaceful, though. In the 1950s, Hungary’s communist regime banned religious orders. The monks were forced out, the cross above the entrance was destroyed, and the entrance itself was sealed with concrete. For decades, the church was closed. It wasn’t until after the fall of communism in 1990 that the Pauline monks returned and reopened the doors.

Today, the Rock Church is open to visitors Monday through Saturday. Mass is held daily at 5 p.m., and if you walk up to the big cross on the hill, you’ll find the entrance right beneath it.

It’s a quiet place. Humble, but full of stories – from the monks who built it to the people who sought shelter inside. If you’re wandering around Gellért Hill, it’s worth stepping inside and sitting for a moment. Just to feel the calm echo off the stone walls.

• Address: 1114 Budapest, Szent Gellért rakpart 1.
• Official website: sziklatemplom.hu
• Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9:30 am – 7:30 pm. Closed on Sundays. The church is not open to tourists during the daily Mass, which starts at 5:00 pm.
• How to get there: the Rock Church is located directly across from the Gellért Baths, at the foot of the hill, near the Liberty Bridge (Szabadság híd). The entrance is beneath the large illuminated cross on the hillside.
  • By metro: take Metro Line 4 (green line) to Szent Gellért tér station. Once you exit, the church is right there — across the square from the metro exit.
  • By bus: bus lines 7, 133E, or 107 also stop at Szent Gellért tér.
  • By tram: tram lines 47 and 49 stop at Szent Gellért tér – Műegyetem. This stop is steps away from the church entrance.