Helyszín címkék:
Winter joys in Gödöllő
Szabó Sára
The Gödöllő Hills are perhaps one of the most vibrant and diverse destinations in the Budapest area. Rich in historical monuments, natural treasures and a thriving cultural life, they offer exciting adventures at any time of the year. Here you will find the Hungaroring, the Mogyoród Aquaréna, the Lázár Equestrian Park, the Veresegyháza Bear Farm and the Vácrátót Botanical Garden, as well as the Grassalkovich Castle, the famous residence of Queen Elisabeth, also known as Sisi.
The Royal Castle of Gödöllő is the largest Baroque palace in Hungary, with its magical castle garden and Baroque theatre, which are rare even in European terms.
The imposing building hosted banquets, sports competitions and hunts during Sisi's time, and the castle commemorates the queen's self-indulgent stay in Hungary with its permanent exhibitions, programmes and guided tours.
There are also many programmes taking place within the walls of the Gödöllő Royal Castle during the autumn and winter months: as part of the discovery packages, little ones can playfully explore and wander through the castle and park. Letters in the Castle, Park Tales with Prince Elemér Egérváry, and the free game board, Mouse-Watching Fairy-Tale Holes, can be a great programme during the holiday season. And if you want Sisi herself as your guide, you can tour the residence as "Her Majesty's guest" on the tour called the Adventure Walk with Queen Elizabeth. During the guided tour, you can learn secrets such as how heavy her coronation dress was, how long it took to make her hairstyle, or what her relationship with Gyula Andrássy and Ferenc Deák was like.
The castle park is dressed in festive decorations
In addition to the permanent, guided programmes, Queen Elizabeth's Garden of Lights is a huge attraction. The Story of Lights takes place between 24 October and 1 February in the park of the Royal Castle of Gödöllő. When the sun sets, the castle garden lights up.
Between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., the castle's promenades and the tree-lined gardens are bathed in a stunning glow of light. In the park, you can wander among hundreds of thousands of sparkling lights and dozens of brand new, handmade light sculptures.
The wonderful installations cover four themes. While in the Music-themed section you can see illuminated musical instruments, the Children's Path brings to life the joy of youth. In the Sisi Garden section, you can enter the queen's floral realm, while the Baroque section evokes the illusion of imperial elegance with its majestic decorations. If all this were not enough, you can also ride the huge Ferris wheel set up in the park, which offers a unique view of the illuminated castle and park. From here, the entire light garden looks like a huge, living painting, which is also an excellent photo subject!
Advent weekends in Gödöllő
Between 6–7 and 13–14 December, the Advent atmosphere will also move into the Royal Castle of Gödöllő. The inner courtyard and interior spaces of the baroque palace will be transformed into a festive market: the organizers will welcome visitors with mulled wine, small-scale farmers' goods and gingerbread. Children can choose from a number of fabulous Christmas programmes, while adults can "get lost" in the winter whirlwind.
Gödöllő is an excellent destination also in winter, and perhaps even the most enchanting at this time. A hot tea in the castle's café, Cafe Ida, an evening walk in the Light Garden, a festive concert or an Advent afternoon in the castle courtyard – all small but great winter pleasures.
