The Tar-kő Rock Shelter is a small but scientifically remarkable cave niche in the Bükk Mountains, tucked beneath the peak of Tar-kő. This unassuming overhang once held layers of red clay concealing one of the richest Middle Pleistocene fossil deposits in Europe - over 15,000 bones spanning tens of thousands of years of animal life.

The entrance opens in a rock face east of the Tar-kő summit, at 812 meters above sea level. The shelter itself is shallow and eave-like: 18 meters wide, 10 meters deep, and only 2 meters high. The surrounding landscape is classic Bükk terrain - limestone cliffs and beech forest, striking in summer greenery and equally atmospheric in winter when snow settles on the rock walls. Getting there is fairly demanding, requiring sure footing and some route-finding on the steep hillside.

• Felsőtárkány — approach via the slope beneath Tar-kő peak, demanding terrain, rocky and steep

• The site has been a strictly protected cave since 1982 - visits require permission from the Bükk National Park Directorate
• Entering is not recommended due to the crumbling infill
• It is also recognized as an archaeologically significant site

In 1958, students from a grammar school in Eger broke through a calcite crust and discovered a hidden inner chamber packed with the bones of cave bears, cave hyenas, ancient bison, and dozens of other species - including eight previously unknown to science. The excavation became a lasting symbol of cooperation between amateur cavers and professional researchers.