5 classy castles and pretty palaces within easy reach of Budapest

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Brunszvik Castle, Martonvásár

One of the most beautiful castles in Hungary is the Gothic-inspired, snow-white one at Martonvásár, half an hour from Budapest. The Brunszvik family owned it from the time of Maria Theresa in the mid-1700s, creating an idyllic English garden out of a swampy, barren wilderness. Beethoven was a regular visitor, deepening his tender feelings for one of the Brunszvik girls. The heyday of the estate and the expansion of the building in Classicist style came with Ferenc Brunszvik. This was how Beethoven would have seen it when he was busy giving piano lessons to Teréz és Jozefin, working on his sonatas or even gamboling with Jozefin in the park. 

The English Neo-Gothic appearance was acquired in the 1870s, when the inheritance passed to Géza Brunszvik, but by the end of the century the family was in a difficult financial situation, so the four-generation estate was first owned by the Habsburgs and then by brewing magnate Antal Dreher. Today you can visit three fascinating museums, dine at a decent restaurant and take a refreshing recreational stroll in the grounds. There are also regular festivals themed around Beethoven, including a whole day’s events from 10.30am on Saturday, 18 December. For more details, see here. 2462 Martonvásár, Brunszvik utca 2. Frequent train from Budapest Déli/Kelenföld to Martonvásár (journey time 30mins). The castle is alongside Martonvásár station.

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Gödöllő Palace

The largest Baroque pile in Hungary is in Gödöllő, 40 minutes by car or direct suburban HÉV train from Budapest. Made famous by Habsburg Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, known and revered in Hungary as Sissi, the palace is referred to here by the name of Grassalkovich. It was back in the early 1700s, in the chaotic aftermath of Ottoman rule, that Antal Grassalkovich rose through the ranks from minor nobility to increase his power and wealth. He bought the huge estate here in Gödöllő, east of Budapest, and had Baroque master András Mayerhoffer build a magnificent palace here in the 1740s. The Salzburg-born architect was also responsible for the Ráday Palace in Pécel (see below). Antal’s son then squandered his father’s wealth, so by the 1850s, Gödöllő fell into the hands of a Belgian bank. 

In the tumultuous year of 1867, when Hungary gained semi-autonomy from Vienna, the Hungarian State bought the palace and offered it as a gift to Franz Joseph and Sissi. The queen had had a pivotal role in the negotiations to persuade her husband to grant Hungary semi-independence, a move that then led to Budapest becoming the grandiose capital we know today. Sissi, meanwhile, would retreat here from the pressures of courtly life in Vienna, riding around the sumptuous grounds on horseback. The closest Hungary gets to having its own Versailles, the palace was occupied between the wars by Regent Miklós Horthy and was superbly restored after decades of Communist neglect. Worth visiting year-round, a short walk from the HÉV station (which still contains the royal waiting room created for the Habsburg couple), Gödöllő is also laying on special events over the Christmas season – classical music concerts, puppet shows and family-friendly performances. 2100 Gödöllő. HÉV train every 30mins from Örs vezér tere to Gödöllő (journey time 45mins).

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Klebelsberg Castle

Just past the high point of Harmáshatárhegy in the Buda hills, the Pesthidegkút estate was bought by Kuno von Klebelsberg and his wife when he was a prominent minister, serving between the wars. The pair would have enjoyed their afternoon coffee admiring the magnificent view from the terrace of this aristocratic Neo-Baroque residence, the main building and outbuildings surrounded by a park full of trees and roses. After her husband’s death in 1932, Klebelsberg’s widow lived in the building until her eviction with the Communist takeover. Not only did she lose the castle but 4,000-volume library was taken away in a truck. 

The property first operated as a holiday retreat for Trades Union members, then a sanatorium, then a psychiatric centre before it fell into disrepair, a somewhat elegant shelter for local homeless. Graffiti artists had a field day. In 2013, it was decided to renovate the building and restore it to the style of its heyday. The salon of the memorial house was decorated with antique furniture and paintings donated privately. The original wooden staircase had been completely destroyed, but a new one is a faithful reproduction. Also operating as a hotel, the castle and memorial house can be visited by booking here. 1028 Budapest, Templom utca 12-14. Bus 64/64A/164/264 from Hűvösvölgy to Templom utca (Kultúrkúria), 8min journey time. 

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Ráday Palace, Pécel

Pécel, just beyond Budapest airport in Pest County, is where you find the Ráday Palace, the former seat of this noble dynasty. It was built by the same architect, András Mayerhoffer, who was responsible for the grandiose Gödöllő Palace (see above), considered its bigger sister. From what was a simple rural mansion, the Rádays created a renowned centre of culture and learning, writer Gedeon Ráday collating a 15,000-volume library. The family would host grand balls and concerts, and supported the develop of Hungarian cultural life. Despite the fires, wars and tragedies to have befallen it since, plenty you see here is still original, the frescoes, the floors and the marble. 

The Rádays’ love of art and science shines through the decoration of the castle, most notably in the ceremonial hall, where the theme of Gedeon Ráday’s favourite book, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, is echoed in the monochrome frescoes. The Hungarian intelligentsia of the Enlightenment era all gathered at Ráday Palace, other illustrious visitors including Hungarian kings Joseph II and Leopold II in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The great novelist of the late 1800s, Mór Jókai, spent happy times here with his first wife, actress Róza Laborfalvi, as their love blossomed. Overhauled in the 1950s, the castle awaits further renovation but can still be visited. See this Facebook page for opening times over the Christmas period, with regular opening hours of 8am-4pm operating for the dates of 21-23 and 28-30 December, for example. 2119 Pécel, Kálvin tér 1. Frequent train from Budapest Keleti to Pécel (journey time 25mins), then 10min walk into Pécel.

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Teleki-Tisza Castle, Nagykovácsi

The grounds and property completely renovated in 2018, Teleki-Tisza Castle at Nagykovácsi just past the north-western outskirts of Budapest, was the former home of three illustrious Hungarian families. The Wattays, the Telekis and the Tiszas all resided here, former Governor of Transylvania Count József Teleki marrying one of the Wattay girls. One of the Tiszas also tied the knot to further intermarry among the dynasties. Two Tiszas later became Hungarian prime ministers, the revered Kálmán from the late 1800s, and his less popular son, István, assassinated on the eve of Hungarian independence in 1918. 

This one-storey castle was built in 1821, and gained its Classicist form in the 1870s. It was owned by the Tisza family until World War II. After they fled the country, the castle was overrun by nationalisation, extension works and destruction. Today, the building belongs to the Hungarian Scouts' Association, and stages all kinds of events, not least elegant weddings. The café here is closed, so visits (daily 10am-6pm) are limited to strolling around the ten-hectare grounds. 2094 Nagykovácsi, Kossuth Lajos utca 2. Bus 63 from Hűvösvölgy to Teleki-Tisza-kastély (journey time 15mins).