The official admission of the palace—considered one of the most beautiful Baroque buildings in Hungary—took place on 13 October 2023 as part of a ceremonial event.
Among those in attendance, alongside the President of Via Habsburg HR Mag. Reinhold Sahl and the Director of the Royal Palace, Dr. Tamás Ujváry, were the Mayor of Gödöllő, Dr. György Gémesi, as well as representatives of the Budapest Castle Authority, Hungarian monument preservation, and the Otto von Habsburg Foundation.
Few palaces in Hungary are as closely associated with the Habsburgs as the one in Gödöllő (German: Getterle ), for several reasons:
The building was constructed in the mid‑18th century by a close confidant of Maria Theresa, the ambitious Count Antal Grassalkovich. The two were not only political allies but were also bound by deep mutual sympathy that developed into friendship. Empress Maria Theresa herself visited the palace in 1751, marking the easternmost journey of her life.
This close cooperation benefited not only the palace but also the entire town, which experienced a period of prosperity—both architecturally and economically—whose traces are still visible today.
In addition to Maria Theresa, the palace is also associated with another famous Habsburg figure: Empress Elisabeth (“Sisi”). After the Austro‑Hungarian Compromise of 1867, she and Emperor Franz Joseph received unrestricted rights of use of the palace as a coronation gift from the Hungarian state. Elisabeth spent more than 2,000 days of her life in Gödöllő, especially enjoying the spring and autumn seasons.
Extensive restoration and renovation works, along with the construction of a railway line running directly next to the palace, turned the site into a location meeting the highest standards of the time and earned it international recognition and prestige.
In their speeches, both President HR Mag. Sahl and Director Dr. Ujváry emphasized the importance of strong cooperation and mutual exchange. They also highlighted—echoing the palace’s own history—the element of friendship.
“States, cities, and regions all have their particularities. But particularities do not mean division. The essence of a cultural route is to place our commonalities at the forefront—what we share in history, what unites us, and what makes us friends.”
(Hofrat Mag. Sahl, President of Via Habsburg)
Mayor Dr. Gémesi also spoke of the many advantages such projects bring to the city:
“Integrating Gödöllő into a European framework and a broader context—whether through twin cities such as Bad Ischl, Laxenburg, Aichach, Brandýs nad Labem‑Stará Boleslav, or through the Via Habsburg Cultural Route and its network—strengthens cohesion in Central Europe. This, in turn, creates connections of historical origin that still exist today and function excellently in 2023.”
We would like to thank the organizer, the Royal Palace of Gödöllő, for arranging this wonderful and dignified ceremony and look forward to future fruitful cooperation.
Further links:
- kiralyikastely.hu
- www.facebook.com/GodolloiKiralyiKastely.official/
- www.instagram.com/godollopalace/
- www.youtube.com/channel/UCc24anuqk30na6lAWUMUKlA