Grassalkovich Palace is the official residence of the Slovak president, a Baroque manor house surrounded by formal gardens in the Nové Mesto district north of the old town. The building dates from the 1760s and was built for Count Antal Grassalkovich, one of the most powerful aristocrats in Hungary during the reign of Maria Theresa. The yellow facade, fountain gardens, and symmetrical formal layout are all characteristic of Central European Baroque at its most confident.
The palace grounds are open to the public at weekends and on national holidays. The interior is not generally accessible, but the gardens — complete with the original 18th-century fountain and trimmed hedges — are worth a 30-minute diversion. The Presidential Guard can be observed at the main gate.
The palace is a 15-minute walk north from the Main Square along Štefánikova Street. The adjacent Horský Park begins just above the palace grounds and extends up the hillside toward Slavín — making this a natural stop on a walking route between the two.