Royal Palace of Gödöllő

Hungary's biggest Baroque mansion was given as a gift to Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Josef I and his wife Elizabeth in 1867, upon their coronation as king and queen of Hungary. The couple used this impressive building as their summer residence. Elizabeth (known as 'Sissi') spoke fluent Hungarian and was adored by her Magyar subjects. Her turbulent life, violent death and posthumous cult of personality parallel that of Princess Diana one century later. After 1945 the palace was converted into a home for the aged, and Soviet troops set up a barracks on the palace grounds. Was this done out of class warfare - or just lack of class? The palace was only restored to its former glory in the last decade. The royal furniture on display here was recovered from other museums and from auctions abroad. Of particular interest are Sissi's violet-coloured rooms, which contained secret doors so that she could avoid guests. To get there, start from Örs vezér tere (the Pest terminus of Budapest's red metro line) and take the HEV suburban railway to Gödöllő (the Szabadsag tér stop). The trip takes about 40 minutes. The Royal Palace sits across the street from the train stop.