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Greater Budapest for Explorers - 1 day

Greater Budapest
How long it takes?
1 day, 2 locations
Best vehicle choice for this plan:
bus
This region is famous for:
Museums and exhibitions
Castles, Forts, Palaces
Culture and monuments
Greater Budapest
Explorers
day 1
Enjoy a meaningful trip to Gödöllő, just 30 km from Budapest. Follow the trails of Sissi in Grassalkovich Palace, then hop onto a horse in the picturesque Domony Valley. Enjoy a memorable adventure when you visit the impressive building and the romantic park of Grassalkovich Palace in Gödöllő. Just a stone’s throw from the apartment blocks, the past will capture you in an instant. Antal I. Grassalkovich started construction of the largest Baroque palace in the country in the 18th century. After the family died out, the building had several owners, until the Hungarian State gave it to Franz Joseph I and Queen Elisabeth as a coronation gift in 1867. Later, during the Second World War, the palace served as the residence of Miklós Horthy and his family, an era whose memory is preserved in the Horthy bunker, open to visitors 10 metres underground

Sissi cult and Baroque theatre

Today, the palace is home to a number of permanent exhibitions that faithfully tell the centuries-old history of the building. Walk through the authentically renovated suites to find out how Hungarian and foreign noblemen and lords lived during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, hear about the Grassalkovich period, and learn more about the story of Sissi, famous for her legendary beauty, at the Queen Elisabeth Memorial Exhibition. Visit the stone theatre with a backstage, unique in Europe, which serves as a venue for high-quality theatrical performances to this day. To conclude your visit to Gödöllő, discover the romantic park of the palace, where additional unique surprises await. Fifty-four oil paintings have been placed in the wood panels of the Királydomb Pavilion, displaying the portraits of warlords and Hungarian kings from the time of the conquest.

Village yard and pálinka with fruit pieces

How about an equestrian show crowned with a shot of pálinka (Hungarian fruit brandy) and a delicious Hungarian meal at the end of the day? In the picturesque Domony Valley, only 12 km from Gödöllő, you can enjoy real village life at the nine-hectare Lázár Equestrian Park. Take a look at the Hungarian village courtyard and the World Champions’ Hall, where you can get an insight into modern Hungarian equestrian sports through the relics of the carriage driver Vilmos Lázár and his brother. Ride through the forests of the area in a horse-drawn carriage or just relish the sight of majestic animals.

Move around like a hungarian