Godollo Royal Palace

The Grassalkovich palace at Godollo was built from the 1730s for a courtier who rose with the Habsburgs, and its double-U ground plan around courtyards makes it the largest Baroque manor house in Hungary. Its second life matters more to visitors: after the compromise of 1867 the nation presented it to Franz Joseph and Elisabeth, and Elisabeth, the empress remembered here as Sisi, spent long stretches at Godollo, which she preferred to Vienna, riding in the park and learning Hungarian. Her restored apartments, in her favoured violet, are the core of the visit, along with the ceremonial hall, the palace chapel, the riding hall and a baroque theatre. The park behind runs to hundreds of hectares.

History

The builder, Count Antal Grassalkovich I, president of the Hungarian Chamber and a confidant of Maria Theresa, began the palace around 1733 under the Salzburg builder András Mayerhoffer, and by the third generation of the family it had eight wings with a church, a theatre and a riding hall. After the male line died out in 1841 it changed hands several times, until in 1867 it was bought for the crown as a royal resting residence, where Franz Joseph and his family spent several months every year until 1918; Queen Elisabeth, who spoke fluent Hungarian, especially loved staying here (Wikipedia, Royal Palace of Gödöllő).

What you'll find

• Elisabeth's violet apartments - the rooms of the empress who preferred Hungary.
• The double-U Baroque plan - the largest manor house of its kind in the country.
• The baroque court theatre - the restored stage in the wing.
• The park and riding hall - the grounds she rode in.

When to go

Year round; the park is best from April to October. Half a day. Concerts and events use the ceremonial hall, which can close parts of the route. Closed some Mondays.

Good to know

Much of the interior is reconstruction, as the palace was used as barracks and an old people's home and was badly damaged. Some wings remain closed and under restoration. Godollo town itself is unremarkable.

Nearby

Budapest is 30 km south-west; the Godollo hills lie north.

Key facts