Budapest’s underwater wonderland draws divers from afar
Budapest: Not every diver's dream is to watch shimmering shoals of fish swim through coral reefs in dazzlingly blue seas. For Laura Tuominen, the ultimate diving experience is not to be found in the Red Sea or the Caribbean, but in a labyrinth of spectacular underwater caves beneath the pavements of Budapest. The Hungarian capital is already famous worldwide for its steaming hot spas and thermal baths. But the underwater Janos Molnar cave system, named after the Hungarian pharmacist who discovered it in the 19th century, has become a hot tip for diving aficionados. Around seven kilometres ( 4.4 miles) in length and previously open only to scientific expeditions, the cave became accessible to the public — that is, qualified divers — when a diving centre was opened here in 2015. "We are under Budapest! It's amazing!" shouts Tuominen, a 39- yearold Finnish anaesthesiologist and passionate amateur diver, as she jumps into the warm waters from a platform mounted in the narrow space at the bottom of the entrance tunnel. She is one of a group of hobby divers and speleologists, wearing dry suits and carrying double cylinders of compressed gas on their backs, who then descend into the gloomy waters, the light from their torches gradually fading out of view. The group is accompanied by a diving centre staff member who directs them with the help of "guideline" cords through the maze of narrow passageways and cavernous cathedral- like chambers. "It's the only underwater cave in Budapest open to divers. Speleology is a niche market. It doesn't have mass appeal. And our urban location makes us special. It's very, very rare," says Attila Hosszu, who has run the centre since it opened.