Eszterházy Palace, Baroque château in Fertőd, Hungary

Eszterházy Palace is a Rococo palace in Fertőd, Hungary, built around a ceremonial courtyard entered through a three-arched wrought-iron gate. Curved two-flight stairs with putti holding lamps lead to the first-floor balcony and the belvedere crowned with a ribbon-like stone parapet. The south facade facing the former French garden has four Tuscan-columned balconies.

The palace was built between 1764 and 1784 when Prince Nikolaus Esterházy transformed a hunting lodge into this grand structure. Architects Melchior Hefele and Miklós Jakoby directed the transformation, turning the place into a major cultural center.

The palace is deeply connected to Joseph Haydn, who lived and worked here as music director, collaborating with musicians in these rooms daily. Today, concerts held in the original halls bring back memories of the lively musical life that once made this place renowned across Europe.

The palace sits on extensive grounds, so visitors should plan for extra time to explore, especially to see the gardens. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since you will spend considerable time on foot.

Three windows above the main entrance are shaped as a violin, a viola and a cello, a nod to the string players of Prince Nikolaus's orchestra. The palace's first opera house, completed in 1768, burned down in 1779.