Godollo Sights and Landmarks Guide, Hungary

Godollo Sights – A short insight

Probably one of the most romantic towns in Hungary, Gödöllő is an extremely popular tourist destination, as the fame of the royal palace and the atmosphere of the place so beloved by the legendary Queen Elisabeth (Sisi) allures thousands of visitors each year.

Godollo Sights – The royal castle and other sights

Only 30 km east of Budapest, Gödöllő is easily accessible from the capital by most means of transport. A variety of sights welcome you here, many of them are monuments from the Grassalkovich era, and the major sight to be visited is definitely the famous Grassalkovich Palace itself. Count Antal Grassalkovich purchased the then town in the beginning of the 18th century, and this is the time when the territory started to gain importance and started developing. The count built the palace in the 1740’s, a real architectural classic of Baroque style, which later became known as the royal palace, as it was the summer residence of King Franz Josef and Queen Elisabeth. Hungary gave the gorgeous palace to the couple as a coronation gift, and it became a much-beloved resort for Elisabeth, the iconic Sisi. After the Second World War the palace deteriorated seriously, as the Soviet troops used it as their sedentary place, but reconstruction works begun in the eighties, strengthening the force of tourism of the town vitally. Currently the Grassalkovich palace gives place to museums, exhibitions and to the Baroque theater as well. Beside the several famous sights of Budapest the palace is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Hungary. If you want to extend your trip by visiting more countries Vienna's Sights also deserve to see.

It is not surprising that Gödöllő is called the city of parks. The impressive parks surrounding the palace, known as the City Parks - Alsó Park, Felső Park and Erzsébet Park (named after Queen Elisabeth) - entice the visitors for a walk, one simply cannot pass by without spending some time here.

If you would like to spend some more time in tranquility, the Arborétum is juts more than ideal place. Moreover, you can visit the Beekeeping Museum in the neighbourhood as well. Furthermore, the Town Museum of Gödöllő waits for visitors with its fine exhibits showing mainly the town’s art life from the beginning of the 20th century.

The list of Godollo Sights does not stop here. The Szent István Egyetem, the largest agricultural university in the country which also hosts the Museum of Agricultural Tools and Machine Development and the City Sports Arena, can also be visited.

Last, but definitely not the least you must see the Máriabesnyő Pilgrimage Temple with the Székely Transylvanian gate in front of it. The country’s only two-storied baroque church is dated from Grassalkovich’s time, and the smallest Virgin Mary sculpture can be found here.

Once in Gödöllő, one would probably understand why even a legendary queen adhered to this place so much. Visiting this town with its spectacular royal palace will surely be a memorable experience.