Gallandau: Manor Houses, Exhibitions and City Park

Gallandau brings together different periods of architectural history, exhibitions, a historic park and a wide range of leisure activities. The manor houses offer insights into architecture and the city's history; cycling, water activities and events provide additional options for shaping your stay.

Manor Houses and Collections

The neo-Gothic manor house took on its present form in 1861. Romantic elements shape both its façade and interior. Its north wing serves as an exhibition pavilion. It houses the Zoltán Kodály memorial room and the permanent exhibition on Karol Duchoň. Also on display is the permanent exhibition “Room of Old Gramophones and Shellac Records,” from the collection of Kristián Takács. The memorial rooms and collection displays thus offer different focal points within the same wing of the building.

The Renaissance manor house was built by František Esterházy around the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. It houses an exhibition on bourgeois domestic culture at the end of the 19th century. A local history exhibition on Galanta’s history covers a broader span of time: from the earliest material evidence and written sources to the development of crafts and domestic culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. Early evidence and later changes in urban life are thus presented side by side as different aspects of history.

The Galanta Local History Museum was founded in 1969 with the task of documenting the development of nature and society. This includes building up, protecting, processing and presenting regional collections. A particular focus of the museum is the history of milling in the catchment area of the Little Danube and along the lower reaches of the Váh. This regional focus complements the exhibitions about Galanta with a distinct perspective shaped by the surrounding landscape.

Architecture and City Park

Religious buildings also display different architectural features. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Stephen the King is a monumental, two-towered Neoclassical building with Baroque elements. Its Baroque altar comes from the furnishings of the demolished Baroque chapel dating from 1741. The Esterházy princely chapel was built in 1871 and restored in 1998. Its interior includes an oil painting of the same age entitled “Ukrižovanie” and Baroque stone sculptures of St. Peter and St. Paul dating from 1741.

The historic park surrounding the neo-Gothic manor house is Galanta’s largest contiguous green space and offers visitors opportunities for a short break. An event tradition is also connected with this location: Galantské trhy preserves a market tradition dating back to the 17th century. Its traditional features include an annual wine route on the grounds of the neo-Gothic manor house in the city park. If you would like to plan around this event, check the dates in advance.

Leisure Activities and Excursions

Galandia is a year-round water complex with an indoor swimming pool and four stainless-steel pools. The indoor facilities include a children’s pool and a water slide. Check the operator’s latest service notices before visiting. This lets you take the facility into account when planning without treating it as equivalent to the historic exhibitions or a visit to the park.

The cycling routes in Galanta pass through flat, easy-to-navigate terrain and are considered suitable for children and less experienced cyclists. From Galanta, it is possible to connect to the Váh Cycle Route in the direction of Kolónia, Váhovce and the Kaskády recreation area. Information about the terrain and its stated suitability provides a different point of reference from the connection to the named destinations.

Promitor Vinorum offers organised wine tastings for groups, combined with a visit to the wine cellar. The Ranč na Striebornom jazere complex includes two lakes where fishing is possible, as well as a themed children’s playground and a riding school. Those weighing up these leisure activities alongside cultural sightseeing will find different options for shaping their stay.

Discover more destinations: Horné Saliby, Šintava, Veľký Grob, Košúty, Tomášikovo, Veľké Úľany, Vozokany, Pusté Úľany.

For the overview of destinations in the wider area: Galanta.