Gödöllö Castle - Sisi and her fairy tale castle

Gödöllö Castle, the "Hungarian Versailles," is Sisi's favorite palace. Located east of Budapest, the largest Baroque palace in the country is the coronation gift of the Hungarians to Franz Joseph and Elisabeth. Empress Sisi spent a lot of time at the royal Gödöllö Castle and enjoyed the informal, family atmosphere. The Baroque palace is one of the largest in the world and, after renovation work, most of it can be admired again in its former glory.

The builder of the important Hungarian Baroque castle was Count Antal Grassalkovich, president of the Hungarian court chamber of Queen Maria Theresa. After the extinction of the Grassalkovich family after 1841, the castle changed owners several times. In 1867 it became the property of the Hungarian Crown and, until the end of the monarchy in 1918, it was the recreational residence of the Austrian imperial couple Franz Joseph I and Elisabeth. Especially Queen Elisabeth often spent long months in Gödöllö every year and liked to stay in the baroque castle and the fairy-like park.

After World War II, the castle was severely neglected under Hungary's socialist government and threatened to fall into disrepair. It has been restored in sections since 1996 and has been open to visitors since then.

The castle, the castle park and the riding hall are still reminders of the imperial times. The baroque theater of the castle complex of Gödöllö is unique in Europe because of its original preserved equipment. In the castle, besides a large ceremonial hall, you can see the royal chambers with the Queen Elisabeth Memorial Exhibition. The periods of its history are presented by the permanent exhibition in the museum of the castle (the Baroque era, the stay of the royal family in Gödöllő).

The idyllic palace garden, which includes an orangery and a palm house, surrounds the entire palace. It is divided into an upper and lower park. Ancient tree stands, for example of gingko and mammoth, characterize the upper park, where you can also see a tea house from 1760.

But it is and remains Sisi, Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and, of course, Queen of Hungary, who annually attracts countless people here to this mystical Hungarian castle and continues to cast her spell. The fascination of this woman, who was full of beauty, melancholy but also full of stubbornness and melancholy, has left traces in many different places in the world, but especially in Austria and in Hungary. Here at Gödöllö Castle you can still feel the spirit of the empress years.