Green Salon

It is easy to see how the Green Salon got its name from the prevalence of green tones in its decor. In the past it served as a large dining room. It is currently used as a high-profile venue for official receptions, meetings and working lunches of the head of state as well as hosting conferences and banquets.

 The room’s interior design dates mainly from the late 19th century, when it was remodelled for the needs of Archduke Friedrich and his wife Isabella. The large space was created by combining two original rooms and a corridor. Notable decorative features include rich late-Rococo stuccowork on the ceiling by Viennese artists and carved overdoor decoration. All the doors linking the rooms date from the 18th century.

The furniture in the room is inspired by 18th-century models and the specific style, widespread in its time, was known as “Spanish Embassy”. It was made by the renowned Viennese company of Otto Schmidt, which furnished the palace in the late 19th century. An especially interesting piece is the Baroque chest of drawers opposite the doors to the Gold Salon; like the mirror with the richly decorated frame, it dates from the second half of the 19th century and was originally part of the furniture of Hlohovec Castle. Look out for the coat of arms of the Erdödy family carved at the crest of the mirror.

In the centre of the room is a conference table made up of modular units – six rounded segments that can be arranged into an oval shape. Its matching chairs are elegantly upholstered with French fabric in shades of green.

Paintings in the room include two 19th-century landscape paintings showing Alpine scenery. There are also portraits of two major figures in Slovak history – Ľudovít Štúr and Matej Bel. These are fine-art copies painted in 2013–2014 by the esteemed painter Mária Bidelnicová. The salon’s rich decor is complemented by its original crystal chandelier – the largest in the Presidential Palace. Between the windows, there are new branching candelabras from the Czech glassworks at Kamenický Šenov. The carpet was woven in northern Bohemia in 1995 and consists of three matching parts.

In the Green Salon, you will also find display cases with the state honours of the Slovak Republic, which the head of state can confer on citizens or foreigners for outstanding deeds in service of the country. The president can award the following state honours: The Order of the White Double Cross (with civil and military branches), the Order of Andrej Hlinka, the Order of Ľudovít Štúr (with civil and military branches), the Milan Rastislav Štefánik Cross, the Pribina Cross and the Medal of the President of the Slovak Republic. Besides the Medal of the President of the Slovak Republic, all the state honours are divided into three classes, with the first class reflecting an exceptionally outstanding level of merit.