The Royal Palace of Gödöllő (Hungarian: Gödöllői Királyi Kastély) or Grassalkovich Castle is an imperial and royal Hungarian palace located in Gödöllő in Pest county, central Hungary. It is famous for being a favorite place of Queen Elisabeth of Hungary.
Count Antal Grassalkovich I (1694-1771), one of the most notable aristocrats of the 18th century, began construction of the largest Baroque palace in Hungary in around 1735.The unique architecture of the Palace served as an exemplary model for other Hungarian palaces of the Baroque period.
The second golden age of the building began in 1867. Bought and reconstructed by the Hungarian state, the Palace was presented as a coronation gift to Emperor Francis Joseph I (1830-1916) and Queen Elisabeth (1837-1898) for use as a residence. The royal family would spend the spring and autumn hunting seasons here.
It was Queen Elisabeth (1837-1898) who specially loved staying in Gödöllő, where the Hungarian personnel and neighborhood of the palace always warmly welcomed her. She was able to converse fluently in Hungarian. Following her tragic death, a memorial park adjoining the upper-garden was built.
From 1920 onwards the Palace served as a summer retreat for Governor Miklós Horthy. This period ended with the outbreak of World War II. Although the building itself was left undamaged, most of the furnishings were carried away or destroyed by the German and Russian troops invading in 1944.
Conservation work on the Palace began again in 1985. As a result of this, the first permanent exhibition was opened in 1996: the ceremonial hall and the royal suites. Several new halls have been added to the exhibition since then. Renovation of the Baroque Theatre was completed in 2003 and the Pavilion in 2004.
Queen Elisabeth spent a total of 2663 days (7.3 years!) in Hungary, of which 2000 were spent in Buda and Gödöllő. Her last visit was from the 2nd till the 24th of October 1897.
Following her death in 1898, the king visited Gödöllő much less frequently. To commemorate their beloved Queen, Hungarians have erected more than 40 monuments and established 100 memorial gardens and groves in the country. The first of these parks was the one in Gödöllő, dedicated in 1901 with a full-length statue of the queen. The town is still the number one center of the cult of Queen Elisabeth.