Hungary has several historical castles and palaces, of which, probably the Royal Palace of Gödöllő is the most famous. As the largest baroque castle of the country, it is not just a tourist attraction but also a trendy wedding venue. This is our favourite castle in Hungary because wonderful architecture and rich history are combined in an exciting exhibition. Not to mention the beautiful park and that it's only 30 minutes from Budapest.
History of the Grassalkovich Castle
The Royal Palace of Gödöllő or Grassalkovich Castle is a quite significant piece of Baroque architecture. The construction started around 1735 by order of Count Antal Grassalkovich. The Grassalkovich family was one of the notable aristocrats of the 18th century next to the Esterházy, Almássy and Festetics families. In the 18th century the Kingdom of Hungary was under the rule of the Habsburg-dynasty. Count Antal Grassalkovich received countship from Queen Maria Theresa for his outstanding support for her claim for the throne.
During the years the palace went under several modifications and enlargements. The current shape formed by the third generation of the Grassalkovich family. After the male side of the Grassalkovich family died out in 1841, the palace had several owner until it become the property of the Hungarian Sate in 1867 and was appointed as a resting residence of the King of Hungary. By the second half of the 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy rose to a great European power under the rule of Emperor Franz Joseph. This lasted until WWI, when the Monarchy lost the war and Hungary ended up loosing more than 2/3 of its territories. In 1918, Hungary became a republic, making Charles IV (the grandnephew of Franz Joseph) the last king of Hungary.
Between the world wars, the palace was a summer residence of Governor Miklos Horthy. Though the WWII left no damage in the building, most of the furnishings were destroyed by the German and Russian troops invading in 1944. The palace was classified as a historic monument, yet from 1945 Soviet troops were stationed in the outhouses, while the main building served as home for the elderly. The following decades let the palace to a decay.
Still belonging to the state, conservation works began in 1985 and the ceremonial hall and the royal suites were opened as the first permanent exhibition in 1996. Renovation of the Baroque Theatre was completed in 2003 followed by the Pavilion in 2004. By 2010, the Gisela and Rudolph wings were restored with the help of an EU foundation, as well as the reconstruction of the Park, the riding hall and the stables were completed. Today, most of the rooms are restored to their former glory.
Queen Sisi
The wife of Franz Joseph I was Empress Elizabeth of Austria and Queen of Hungary, nicknamed Sisi. She couldn't accept the strict protocol of the court in Vienna, therefore she travelled a lot and one her favourite places was Hungary. Sisi loved the country and its people - she learned not just about Hungary's history and culture but also learned the Hungarian language. Hungarians adored her. She was attracted to unusual things like Gypsy music - she hosted full Gypsy bands in the Palace multiple times.
She often visited Budapest and Gödöllő - the royal family spent spring and autumn hunting seasons in the Royal Palace of Gödöllő. The Queen could read in peace, learn languages, write, walk or ride out on her horse. Often horse or greyhound races, hunts and pigeon-shootings were arranged for her. After her tragic death, numerous monuments, sites and gardens were named in the country after her such as Elizabeth bridge and two district in Budapest (Erzsébetváros and Pesterzsébet).
FUN FACT: Sisi spent a total of 2663 days (7.3 years) in Hungary, of which 2000 were spent in Buda and Gödöllő.
The Royal Palace of Gödöllő
The double U shaped building had 8 wings, a theatre, a church, a greenhouse, an orangery, a bath house, stables and a riding hall, surrounded by an enormous park. The Palace had 136 rooms altogether, of which 103 were living rooms, 67 of these being for the staff. The royal suites were established in the main building, to the north and south of the ceremonial hall. The inner court often home to various programs.
The permanent exhibition is housed in 31 galleries focusing on the Grassalkovich family era, the royal period and the Empress Elisabeth Exhibition. In addition, visitors can view the gallery of the members of the Habsburg House. The first part consists of six galleries showing the life of the first century of the Palace and the first three generations of the Grassalkovich family.
Visitors can peek inside the Baroque church and view restored paintings as well. The Catholic church was consecrated on 16 May 1749. The baldachin above the high altar rests on four black marble columns. The triumphal arch is decorated with the Grassalkovich family coat of arms. The two pulpits are made in Rococo style. Above the entrance to the oratory there is a Venetian mosaic portrait of Antal Grassalkovich I.
The next 14 galleries were meant to revive the atmosphere of the royal period by showcasing the authentic royal suites and a ceremonial hall. Franz Joseph's suit opened from the Rococo Style Ceremonial Hall where the balls, receptions and banquets were held. The suit included a smoking salon, a working-, a bed- and a dressing rooms. The walls of the king’s apartment were covered with yellow paneling and grey silk wallpaper later changed to white, red and gold. They were decorated with hunting trophies and landscapes form local painters.
Elisabeth’s suite consisted of a salon, writing-, bed-, dressing-, and reading rooms. The walls of the queen’s suite was characterized by violet, her favourite colour. A spiral staircase led from the upper floor to the three-room suite on the ground floor. Next to Elisabeth’s rooms was the suite of her reader Ida Ferenczy, followed by the rooms of the royal children. The Empress Elisabeth Exhibition is in the Ferenczy room displaying remembrance and tokens from the queen's life in Hungary.
The rooms of the royal children are showing the modern history of the palace until the WWII. This area was the home to Rudolph, the Crown Prince of Austria and Archduchess Gisela then later Archduchess Marie Valerie. The other rooms are illustrating how Charles IV and the Horthy family spend their days here.
The last part of the interior exhibition area is the Habsburg Gallery. The corridor if full of portraits from Maria Theresa to Queen Elisabeth. The portraits here belong to the Pannonhalma Archabbey, Hungarian National Museum, Budapest History Museum and the Zirc Abbey.
Other thigs to See
The Park
The Palace is surrounded by a 26-hectare English park and open to the public all year. It was declared a nature reserve in 1998. Originally two swan-ponds were in the landscape garden in front of the main facade. The northern front garden, at the main façade with its so-called Italian bastions and walkways was reconstructed with historical authenticity in 1998. Riding competitions are held in the park annually.
TOP TIP: Try the horse carriage in the park - it's a really fun experience! Rode around the park and feel like a royal, while learning about the history of the castle. It's quite amusing how fast is one horse power! Also the prices are great (compared to Vienna for example)!
The Baroque Theatre
The theatre is in the southernmost wing of the palace, built in 1785 by Count Antal Grassalkovich II. The audience was seated in the stalls and in the two galleries on the rear wall. It operated only when the count was at Gödöllő. Several rooms and a rehearsal room were fitted out for the musicians in the wing opposite the theatre. This was known as the Musicians’ Gangway. German theatrical companies performing in Buda, Pest and Győr came to play here. The performances were often attended by members of the local aristocracy. During the royal period, it was converted into rooms for the entourage of the family. The reconstruction was finished in 2003 and since the theatre is open for museum visitors and venue for numerous plays.
FUN FACT: This is Hungary's earliest stone theatre with coulisses that is still standing.
The Riding Hall and the Stables
Both were built by order of Antal Grassalkovich I in the middle of the 18th century. The saddle room and cleaning room were decorated with wall paintings. As Queen Elisabeth's passion was riding, during the royal period, the Riding Hall was transformed into a manege with mirrors on the walls. From the 1950s the riding halls, and the stables (as storerooms) were used by the Soviet Army. The building were renovated in 2010.
Pavilion at King's Hill
Antal Grassalkovich I had built the hexagonal pavilion in the 1760s on an artificial hill. The paneled walls of the pavilion was covered with 54 oil paintings of Hungarian leaders and kings from the Hungarian conquest to later kings of the Kingdom of Hungary. The majority of the pictures have disappeared or been destroyed. The building was reconstructed in 2002 and the pictures were recreated by photographic technology in 2004.
Horthy's Bunker
This attraction is very different from the others as it was built during the WWII. The Ministry of Defence had constructed a bunker in Queen Elisabeth's Garden for Governor Miklós Horthy, his family and his entourage. The bunker was designed to hold 20 people in about 55 m2. The 10-metre deep refuge had 150-170 cm thick concrete walls and two entrances - a narrow tunnel-like corridor leading from the palace's ground level and a surface entrance accessible from the front garden. The bunker included two rooms with wooden floorboards, wood-paneled walls, tables, chairs, benches, cupboards, sofas and a telephone line. Horthy never inhabited this bunker. Visitors can see the reconstructed fitting and the history of the bunker.
Visitor Information
Opening Hours
The castle is open Mon-Sat from 10.00 to 18.00. The ground can be reserved for events and some parts might not be visited during these events. Check the opening hours at the palace's official site.
Admission
Tickets to the main exhibition are available at the location for 3200 HUF/adults and for 1800 HUF/students and seniors. Guided tours cost 6500 HUF and takes a little longer than an hour. The Baroque Theatre and the Riding Hall cost 300 HUF/person. The Horthy Bunker and the Pavilion are available only with a guide for 700 HUF/adults and 500 HUF/students. The park is free to visit.
How to Get Here
Gödöllő is a 30-50 drive from Budapest via M3 or Route 3. The parking lot in front of the palace is available for a fee. If you prefer public transport, the HÉV (H8 suburban railway) from Örs vezér tere is the easiest. It takes 50 minutes and cost 560 HUF/one way (find tickets and schedule here).
Services
The cloak room is located on the ground floor and its use is mandatory. Toilets are available here as well as a souvenir shop, a restaurant, a café and a photo studio.
This was our guide to the Grassalkovich Castle, hope you find it useful. Save it for later so you can check the details if you plan to visit!
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