District XXII · Buda
Budafok — the cellar town
A hundred kilometres of wine cellars cut into limestone, a champagne house from 1882, and cave dwellings people lived in until the 1960s.
What it is
The southernmost district on the Buda side, and the only part of Budapest with a wine industry of its own. Limestone was quarried here for centuries to build the city; the quarries left behind a warren of tunnels at a constant twelve degrees, which turned out to be very close to ideal for storing wine.
Estimates of the total run past a hundred kilometres. Some of it is still in commercial use, some is sealed, and a small, well-marked portion is open to visitors.
What is here
The Törley story. József Törley learned the méthode champenoise in Reims and came home in 1882 to make sparkling wine in the Budafok cellars. The company still operates, and the Törley Mansion and the family mausoleum above the cellars are the district's landmarks.
The cave dwellings. Not a metaphor — families lived in rooms cut into the cliff face along Veréb utca and around it, some until the 1960s. A number of the façades survive.
Nagytétény Castle Museum, a Baroque palace at the far southern end holding the Museum of Applied Arts' furniture collection. It is a genuine country house and almost never crowded.
What it is like
Suburban and quiet, on a hillside, with the industrial Danube bank below. It does not feel like Budapest and does not try to.
Who it suits
Anyone with a real interest in wine, and anyone who has already seen the centre. It is a half-day trip, not a base.
The practical catch
Cellar visits are almost always by appointment. This is the thing that catches people out — turning up at a cellar door in Budafok on spec generally gets you a locked gate. Book ahead, and check whether the tour is running in your language.
Getting here is easy but not quick: the HÉV suburban railway or bus from Kelenföld, about half an hour from the centre.
🏛️ Attractions
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Budavári Evangélikus Templom és Gyülekezet
Budafok — the cellar town4.7(322)out of 5 on Google
Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar
Budafok — the cellar town4.7(356)out of 5 on Google
🍽️ Restaurants
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BAMBINO pizza•pasta•culture
Budafok — the cellar town4.9(135)out of 5 on Google€€€€
Closed · Tuesday from 11:00
☕ Coffee houses
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Sweet Dreams Kávé és Sütemény
Budafok — the cellar town5.0(125)out of 5 on Google€€€€
Closed · Monday from 10:00
Strudel Garden Café & Bakery
Budafok — the cellar town4.9(822)out of 5 on Google€€€€
Closed · Monday from 08:30
Edison & Jupiter Specialty Cafe and gastrolab
Budafok — the cellar town4.8(1,705)out of 5 on Google€€€€
Closed · Monday from 09:00
🛏️ Where to stay
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🍸 Ruin bars & nightlife
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Where to stay in Budafok — the cellar town
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
Bookings made through this map earn us a commission. Your price is unaffected.
Tours & tickets nearby
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Frequently asked
Which district of Budapest is Budafok in?
Budafok is District XXII, on the Buda side, west of the Danube. It is easy to verify from the postcode: the four digits start with 1 and the next two give the district, so any address here begins 122. That is the quickest way to find out where a listing actually is before you book it.
What is worth seeing in Budafok?
The best-known sights here are Royal Chapel, Budavári Evangélikus Templom és Gyülekezet and Törley Sparkling Wine Cellar. The full list, with opening hours and a map, is further up this page.
Where should I eat in Budafok?
Among the best-rated restaurants in the district are Créme's dessert, Hétköznapok. and BAMBINO pizza•pasta•culture. The ratings come from Google and are refreshed periodically — they are not paid placements.
Is Budafok a good area to stay in?
It depends what you want from it. The accommodation section above lists a few options in the district, and the write-up at the top of this page says plainly who the area suits and who it does not. The map at the foot of the page is centred on Budafok itself.
Does Budafok have any nightlife?
Yes, though not at the intensity of the Jewish Quarter. Reference points in the district include Bérkocsi Söröző, Hélium Drink Bár and Pingvin Söröző.
Districts next door
Budapest is compact and its districts run into one another — these are the closest, by walking distance from the centre of this one.
Before you go
Skip-the-line ticketsEntry booked ahead for museums, baths and towers — which on a winter Saturday at Széchenyi is a genuinely long queue avoided.Check tickets →City passOne pass covering a set of attractions. It pays off only above roughly three paid sights a day — worth the arithmetic before you buy.See what it covers →Self-guided audio toursA guided route on your own phone, at your own pace, for a fraction of a walking tour. Good in the Castle District and the Jewish Quarter, where the story is not written on the buildings.Browse audio tours →Experiences & day tripsDanube cruises, bath entries, Szentendre and the Danube Bend, and the ruin-bar crawls — booked ahead.Browse experiences →
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