This historic royal town, 30km from Budapest, centers around an elegant baroque palace from 1744. Home to Hungary's largest agricultural university and a popular horse farm.
Located 30 kilometers northeast of Budapest, Gödöllő is home to an 18th-century Royal Palace where Queen Elizabeth spent her summers. You can walk through her private apartments, see the mirrors where she practiced horse riding, or explore the 26-hectare English gardens. Start your day at the morning market in Liberty Square, then visit the agricultural museum with its collection of 2,000 working historical farming machines.
Getting to Gödöllő
You can reach Gödöllő from Budapest via suburban railway (HÉV) or national railway (MÁV-START). The town serves as a transportation hub with the M3 motorway and M31 connecting to Budapest's ring road. Nine local bus lines run within the town, connecting all major sights.
The Royal Palace Complex
The Baroque palace covers 1,700 square meters, surrounded by 26 hectares of English gardens. Walk through Franz Josef's rooms with their imperial red textiles, and Queen Elizabeth's apartments decorated in her signature lilac colors. The palace museum contains the royal family's personal items and artwork, including paintings of Elizabeth riding horses. You can explore the restored first floor, including the ceremonial hall and royal suites.
Elizabeth's Riding Hall
Built in 1879, the riding hall has four large mirrors where Queen Elizabeth practiced equestrianism. Look up to see Károly Lotz's painting of horses running through the Hungarian wilderness. Elizabeth trained her white horses "Flick" and "Flock" here, teaching them to bow, sit, and respond to complex commands.
Liberty Square and Market
The recently renovated Szabadság Tér has 46 Art Nouveau street lights and a musical fountain. Visit the market (open Monday-Friday, 7:00-14:00) to buy fresh produce, flowers, and local crafts from vendors, some dressed in traditional Hungarian clothing. Stop at one of several market cafes for Hungarian coffee and pastries.
Agricultural Museum and Education
Walk through 6,000 square meters of exhibition space to see over 2,000 functioning agricultural machines, forming the world's second-largest collection. The Szent István University campus, Hungary's main agricultural education center, has grown into its own district within the town.
Natural Spaces
The Gödöllő Arboretum (established 1902) grows 147 species of pine trees and 875 types of deciduous trees and shrubs. In the Gödöllő Hills, rising 150-250 meters above sea level, you can walk on marked trails through forests growing on loess and sand deposits.
