The cells and chapels in the soft basalt tuff were probably carved by friars of Byzantine Rite in the 11th century and who used it until the 14th century. They are also known as Hermit's Houses and they were often referred to as caves.

These historical remains are unique in Central Europe and in the 20th century many historians visited them for excavations. During 1984, multiple skeletons were found and 10 years later the rocks and the cells were stabilised.

Though records from 1942 talk about 9 cells and multiple smaller rooms, today there are only 3 hermit houses extant. The others were destroyed by natural processes such as smaller earthquakes and rock slides.

Near the friar habitations is the only spring in Tihany, the Ciprián Spring.

We can approach the houses from the abbey or the calvary, following the green marked trail that leads directly to the habitations. There is also a way leading here from the Lepke Row on the beach (also following the green mark) but it is quite steep. The friar habitations are also a station of the Lóczy Lajos Study Trail.