Royal Palace of Gödöllő (Grassalkovich Palace) - Gödöllő, Hungary

Location:

GPS coordinates: Latitude 47°35'44", Longitude 19°20'50" (N47 35.73 - E19 20.83) Map

Royal Palace of Gödöllő (Grassalkovich Palace)

At the end of World War I King Charles IV of Hungary (or Charles I of Austria) first heard about the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire here within the walls of the Royal Palace of Gödöllő. Then between the two World Wars the palace was the residence of Regent Miklós Horthy.

Within the walls of the renovated palace there is an exhibition which represents the Grassalkovich family (the builders of the castle) and the baroque era. In addition the authentically furnished apartments of the later the royal couple, King Franz Joseph and Queen Elisabeth (Franz Joseph I of Austria and Empress Elisabeth of Austria or "Sisi") can be seen as well.

Picnic at the Royal Palace of Gödöllő (Grassalkovich Palace)

The palace was built by Count Antal Grassalkovich I (1694-1771) in around 1735. Most of the monuments in the town are from this age. The male side of the Grassalkovich family died out in 1841, then there were more changes of the ownership. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 the government bought it back, and from then the royal family started to use it, they got it as a kind of coronation gift. So Gödöllő became the summer resindence of the royal couple, King Franz Joseph and the worldwide admired, modern-minded Queen Elisabeth ("Sisi").