Travel Memories - Godollo

 

Rudbeckia in full bloom at Godollo Palace

Are you in a heat wave or a cold snap? I thought we could take a little trip to the town of Godollo, just 25 minutes from Budapest today. 

The summer of 2019 was blisteringly hot in central Europe. In a bit of serendipity, the double booking of our first vacation apartment had us eventually finding a really lovely brand new and air-conditioned apartment southwest of Budapest's city centre. We thoroughly appreciated the coolness after walking many miles each day around the city. 

Every day during our stay we walked several blocks toward the Danube to catch a yellow tram into the city. It was a straight line to the centre and we became quite comfortable with it. On our last full day in Hungary we booked an excursion to Godollo, a home beloved by Sissi, also known as Empress Elisabeth of Austria during the late 19th century. Godollo is one of the largest examples of Hungarian palace architecture. 

As we waited for the tram we chatted about our day and when the bus arrived, hopped on without a thought. 

But wait, this tram had newer seats and looked different. Were we on the correct bus? When the tram took a turn up Haller Street instead of going straight, we knew we were not. At the first stop we hopped off. This was the only day we had a deadline to meet - our tour. Tim pulled up Google maps and we decided that we could walk quickly and avoid waiting for another tram. We did make it to the tour bus on time, in fact, in plenty of time.  

The bus to Godollo contained both English and Spanish speakers, with a guide for each language group. The strongly accented "English-speaking" guide was so difficult to understand that we decided to go with the Spanish-speaking group. (We both speak Spanish, although guides look at us and try to shoo us into the English group wherever we go.) Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared interesting stories and information about the palace, a summer residence for the Austrian royal family, and about Sissi's life. Like Marie Antoinette, Sissi found the public scrutiny of palace life in Vienna difficult and she often retreated to Godollo where things were simpler and she could ride her beloved horses.  

The palace is beautiful and filled with light. Construction began in 1733 in the Baroque style. The public area of the palace comprises just 23 rooms of this vast complex. During the second World War the palace was used to house Soviet and later, Hungarian soldiers. During the excessive cold of the winter of 1945 flooring was removed and burned for fuel. In Vienna, American soldiers did the same to the Schonbrunn palace. It was a desperate time.  

Our tour director led us up these stairs to the first floor location of the tour. No photos were allowed at this point, but there are various photos around the internet if you are interested. 

After the tour we wandered around the extensive gardens. Did I mention how hot it was? This statue of Empress Elisabeth highlights her tiny waist. She was obsessed with her appearance and reduced her waist, after having four children, to 20 inches, with the help of corsets and extreme dieting. Her hair was a source of pride and she often complained of headaches because of the weight of it piled into braids on top of her head. Her beauty regimes were interesting and often bizarre. You can read more of them here. 

Although excessively interested in her looks, Sissi also played a role in the political sphere and influenced (or tried to influence) her husband Archiduke Franz Joseph I to consider the rights of the Hungarian people, and helped in the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the end, after 44 years as Empress, Sissi was assassinated in Geneva. 

Before going to Budapest, I read The Accidental Empress and Sisi: Empress on her Own, both by Allison Pataki. These are fictionalized accounts of her life, but with many details taken from history.