Burgenland is a state of Austria. Burgenland is a very lengthy state. It is 166 km long from north to south but much narrower from west to east, in one place only 5km. It is divided into seven districts, but for this travel guide, it will first be divided it into larger regions, called Northern Burgenland, Mid Burgenland and Southern Burgenland. Those regions have better public transportation within them, as opposed to the very, very poor public transportation from north to south, which is mostly a bus which starts in Eisenstadt twice a day.
Burgenland is the 7th largest of Austria's 9 provinces (Bundesländer), at 3,966 km². The highest point in the province is Geschriebenstein, at 884 metres, the lowest point is 114 metres, near Apetlon.
Burgenland has a very long border: To the west it borders the Austrian provinces of Niederösterreich and Steiermark. To the northeast it borders Slovakia, Hungary to the east and Slovenia to the farthest south.
Burgenland and Hungary share the Neusiedler See, known for its reed, shallowness as well as the mild climate throughout the year. The Neusiedler See is Austria's largest lake serving as a large tourist attraction bringing ornithologists, sailors and wind/kite surfers into the region north of the lake.
PLACE TO VISIT
Originally called "The Land of four Castles" (Vierburgenland), most of them are now in Hungary. It is not that they moved there by themselves, but in the political confusion of this area, a lot of unification, reunification and division took place, and that's where things stand now: a land of castles (Burgenland) with only few of them. But still there are some which are worthwhile to visit.
The Castles were originally built as some sort of (de)fence against the Osmanic and Magyar threat from the east. The "Road of Castles" (Schlösserstrasse) starts in mid-Burgenland and goes right down to the most southern place in eastern Styria. By the way, don't be confused: the name of the castle is almost always the name of the corresponding village, minus "Burg" or "Schloss".
Burg Bernstein - In this small castle in Bernstein, which was owned by families like Batthyány and Almásy, you will find a small hotel, a restaurant and a nice garden, which is open to visitors. The Castle is very ancient with big rooms and a knight's hall.
Burg Lockenhaus - A stronghold and knight's castle located in Lockenhaus, with knight's saloon, frescos and a subterranean apsis hall. The knight's hall is regularly used for chamber music festivals and big stylish weddings. The hotel has ancient apartments, a wedding suite, a tavern and other features.
Burg Schlaining - The Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution is located here, as well as the European Museum of Peace. In the village Stadtschlaining you will find a medieval heart, churches, and a synagogue. In the castle Burg Schlaining you will find remarkable medieval architecture, a knight's saloon, pomposity saloons and a chapel.
Schloss Burgau - This former water castle in Burgau (Styria) has, among others, also been in the property of family Batthyàny. It is suitable for concerts, theater, weddings and other festivities. There are also exhibitions of modern art taking place. You can expect theater events and concerts in summer.
Burg Güssing - The oldest castle in Burgenland, built around 1157 on an extinct volcano, served as a defence castle against threats from the east. It features an ancestors gallery, cultural items of the renaissance and barock, a restaurant with atmospheric music events and an excellent vinotheque. In summer, the Burgspiele take place, which is open-air theater with the picturesque background of the castle itself.
Riegersburg - Originally built in the eleventh century, the styrian Riegersburg in the similarly called village has its today face from a renewal in the 17th century. It is layn in eastern Styria, on a 482m high extinct volcano. The Riegersburg features three kilometers of defence walls, eleven bastions and five entries on a 15 hectare big rock plateau. The castle was part of the styrian eastern defence against the osmanic and magyar threats. The Riegersburg, referred to as the strongest fortress of Christianity, with its impressive quality of fortification, remained untaken throughout the history. Since 1822, the castles is owned by baronial family Liechtenstein and is one of the best conserved medieval castles in Europe.
WHAT TO DO
Hot springs - There are many hot springs in southern Burgenland and south-eastern Styria, so watch out that you don't fall into one of the many thermal basins if you don't watch your step. The water for the thermae comes right out of the earth, heated by volcanic activity and is mostly around 36°C, enriched with minerals and very nice to relax in. There will also be offered common wellness services such as solarium, massages, drinks, mudbaths, sauna and others. Often enough there are opportunities to play golf, do horseriding, go bicycling or hiking, do sports and such.
The Village you find the thermae in will contain a lot of expensive hotels and cheap hostels to spend your time. You should not think about staying outside the actual thermae village, because stretches of way between villages are rather long in Burgenland, and the public transportation infrastructure is, to say the least, poor.
WINE TASTING
Despite Burgenland always producing excellent wine, some vintners in Burgenland added illegal substances to their wine in the mid-1980s. When this was revealed, the wine export of Austria broke down completely. After recovering from that scandal, vintners in Austria, not only in Burgenland, started focusing on quality and mostly dropped the production of poor quality wine.
In Northern Burgenland, around Neusiedlersee, and in Southern Burgenland you will get exceptional good wine for no money. Try to visit some Buschenschank or some Winery and start trying and tasting right away, as the local Wineries will be happy to assist you in a professional degustation.
Uhudler - Being a special wine which must only be served in Southern Burgenland and the bordering styrian area, you will not find it anywhere else. It is drunk cold, and though its appearance has some resemblance with rosé, it tastes entirely different. It has the smack of berries, after the uncultivated grapes from which it is made. This wine is supposed to be drunk - pure or with soda - together with friends, in a warm autumn evening, in the open air, having a nice talk and laugh on a candle lit table. Most Buschenschanks will provide you with those prerequisites; you still need to bring the friends, though.
Most - This is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented fruit juice. It can be clear or clouded and can taste a little astringent. You can get drunk from it easily. Common fruits used for making Most are grape, apple and pear. It is similar to cider and perry. In wine making, Most preceds Sturm. One differentiates between Pressmost, the product of pressure applied to the fruit, and Seihmost, the liquid that naturally flows out of the fruit stacked in the press.
Sturm - A fermenting grape juice of high alcohol content, Sturm is the stage following Most. This beverage is only on sale for a few weeks in the winemaking regions of Austria and only during the season of wine-making as it cannot be preserved. If sold in bottles, it is not corked as the fermentation process of the sugar is still in process. It is opaque, and off-white to greenish in colour. Depending on the stage of fermentation the taste can be very sweet. It is deceptively refreshing, and has a surprising punch - more often than not it also delivers also a punch to your digestion.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Most certainly, you will not come to Burgenland by plane. But to be complete, nearby international airports are located in Vienna, Bratislava, Graz and Maribor. If you happen to own your own sports plane, you will like (and already know) the fact that there is a small military and hobbyists airport next to Güssing in Punitz, which is usable throughout the year. For bigger machines you will need to consider Maribor.
By train - Regional lines pass through from Styria and Lower Austria. Wiener Neustadt especially is a good train hub for northern Burgenland. If you want to go to Southern Burgenland, you might sometimes prefer the destination "Fürstenfeld" to Jennersdorf and then take the local Bus to the desired village. There are many train stations in Burgenland, you can search Detsche Bahn website for timetables.
