UNDER project partnership explores Hungary: Work-based learning and heritage beneath the surface
Sümeg, Hungary – September 2025.
The second international mobility of the UNDER – Underground Navigators Exploring and Revealing project has just concluded, bringing together young cultural operators, educators, and heritage professionals from Malta, Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic for an unforgettable experience of learning and cooperation.
Hosted by Várkapitány Lovagi Torna Egyesület, this four-day event focused on work-based learning, social inclusion, and community development in the context of underground cultural heritage. Participants explored how education, heritage interpretation, and teamwork can strengthen local communities and enhance professional growth in the tourism and culture sectors.
The mobility opened in Budapest, with a study visit to the remarkable Hospital in the Rock, an underground museum that blends history, medicine, and resilience. Beyond the guided tour, participants attended a special session on the museum’s mentoring programme, learning how young guides are trained to work safely and effectively in challenging underground conditions. The meeting provided valuable insights into mentoring strategies and on-the-job learning practices in cultural organizations.
The group then moved to Sümeg, where they discovered the town’s medieval castle and took part in a lively afternoon of team-building activities inspired by medieval traditions. Divided into teams, participants competed in creative challenges such as archery, finding a needle in a haystack, recovering pottery fragments from the sand to complete a puzzle, and even freeing teammates from the castle dungeon by rolling three dice to make 6-6-6. These playful exercises encouraged cooperation, problem-solving, and intercultural bonding in a fun, historical setting.
The adventure continued in Tapolca and Balatonederics, with an extraordinary visit to the Csodabogyós Cave—a unique and extreme speleological experience that took participants 100 meters underground through a 900-meter route of interconnected passages. Equipped with helmets and lamps, they explored the hidden beauty of Hungary’s underground world, reflecting on the balance between exploration, education, and environmental protection.
The mobility concluded with a reflection session in Sümeg, where participants shared their impressions, key learnings, and new ideas for cooperation. The week strengthened bonds among partners, expanded participants’ professional horizons, and deepened their understanding of how vocational education, inclusion, and heritage interpretation can shape a more connected and culturally aware Europe.
As the UNDER project continues its journey, attention now turns to the next and final mobility, scheduled in Znojmo, Czech Republic, which will focus on sustainable and rural tourism—the last step in this European path of shared learning beneath and beyond the surface.
