The palace of Fertod or the Hungarian Versailles was built thanks to the riches of Miklos Esterhazy. The court of the aristocrat attracted great artists such as Joseph Haydn who worked there for thirty years. Nowadays, the palace is open to public.
The palace of Fertod belongs among the biggest and most beautiful ones in Hungary. It is located in the town of Fertod and is sometimes called the Hungarian Versailles. The beautiful palace shows how rich the aristocrats of Hungary were. The wealth and the love of glamour are the reasons why Miklós Esterházy invested in changing his hunting seat into the rococo style chateau.
The complex built in shape of horse shoe was inspired by the famous chateau in Versailles, as Topky.sk reported. There were orange trees, fountains, an opera house, concert halls, a Chinese folly, small pavilions as well as a chapel and stable.
Austrian composer Joseph Haydn spent almost thirty years at Miklos Esterhazy’s court. He was in charge of music at the court and composed numerous operas, concerts and other pieces of music there. After the death of Esterhazy, his family moved to Kismarton. The palace was abandoned, orchestra disassembled. Picture gallery and treasury moved to Vienna or Kismarton.
The palace was damaged during the World War II. After some reconstruction, public could visit the palace again. Tourists can visit some parts of the palace these days too. Apart from the rooms of the Esterhazy family, guests can visit for example the museum where skilled guides tell tourists about the history of the palace.
Since 1959, there has been a celebration in memory of the great composer Joseph Haydn. Numerous domestic as well as foreign orchestras and choirs can show their skills at the International music festival or the Week of music.