Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Richard the Lionheart Castle
It may involve a steep, 30-minute climb up to 500 feet above the town, but the ruins of this famous castle—and its spectacular views up and down the Danube—make it well worth the effort. The name (in English at least) comes from the fact the castle once held Richard the Lionheart of England, who was captured by Leopold V on his way back home from the Crusades. It's said that Leopold had been insulted by Richard while they were in the Holy Land, so when the English nobleman was shipwrecked and had to head back home through Austria dressed (clearly not very convincingly) as a peasant, Leopold pounced. Richard was subsequently imprisoned in the tower of the castle for four months (1192--1193), before Leopold turned his prisoner over to the emperor, Henry VI. Henry held him for months longer until ransom was paid by Richard's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Dürnstein, Lower Austria, A-3601, Austria -
2. Fő tér
Plaza/SquareThe city's attractive main square is dominated by the early Gothic Soproni Nagyboldogasszony templom (Blessed Mary Benedictine Church), better known as the Goat Church for reasons both fantastical–-it's said the church was financed with treasure found by a billy goat–-and practical–-goats feature on the coat of arms of the actual church financiers. It's a real mishmash of styles, with a Gothic choir, a rococo main altar, and a Baroque red-marble pulpit, along with recently discovered medieval tombs. Outside stands the 18th-century Szentháromság-szobor (Holy Trinity Column), Hungary's finest plague memorial and among the first anywhere to feature a twisted column.Facing the square are three very different but equally fascinating museums. Fabricus Ház (Fabricius House) is a beautiful Baroque mansion with exhibits on ancient city history: highlights include the remains of a Roman bathhouse and the 1,200-year-old Cunpald Goblet. The Storno Ház (Storno House) is Sopron's finest Renaissance-era building with a collection of furniture, porcelain, sculptures, and paintings belonging to the Stornos, a rags-to-riches dynasty of chimney sweeps-turned-art restorers. The Fehér Angyal Patikamúzeum (Angel Pharmacy Museum) is a real-life 17th-century apothecary that now houses a collection of period pharmaceutical tools, books, potions, and lotions.
Sopron, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, 9400, Hungary -
3. Grasalkovičov palác
Government BuildingThis grand Rococo-style summer residence was built in 1780 for Count Anton Grassalkovich, advisor to Empress Maria Theresa (who was crowned in Bratislava in 1761). Today, it's the official residence of the President of the Slovak Republic so it isn't possible to see inside, but come at 1 pm any day of the week to witness the ceremonial Changing of the Guard. You can also head around the back of the palace to explore the lovely Prezidentská záhrada (Presidental Garden), a public park that's an oasis of manicured lawns, sculpted hedges, and gorgeous flower displays. It also has a number of avant garde sculptures, including the playful Fountain of Youth by Slovak sculptor Tibor Bártfay.
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4. Hlavné Námestie
Plaza/SquareBratislava's main square is the beating heart of the city, home to some of its most interesting history, architecture, and artworks. The centerpiece of the square is Maximiliánova fontána (Maximilian's Fountain), erected in 1572 as a public water supply. The knight on top is said to bow once a year, on New Year's Eve, though only for those pure of heart and born in Bratislava. The square is ringed by a number of beautiful Gothic and Baroque buildings, many of which are now embassies. The most notable of these is the Stará radnica (Old Town Hall), which is actually a mishmash of different houses built at various stages from the 14th century onwards; look for the cannonball embedded in the town hall's tower. Opposite, on the corner outside Café Mayer, is the Schöne Náci (Nice Nazi) statue, depicting a famous local eccentric who cheerfully wandered the streets in top hat and tails. As well as the permanent fixtures, the square also hosts regular markets, concerts, and political events.
Bratislava, Bratislavský, 811 01, Slovakia -
5. Hviezdoslavovo námestie
Plaza/SquareThis charming, tree-shaded promenade is named for renowned Slovak poet Pavol Országh Hviezdoslav and lined with some of the city's grandest buildings—now mainly embassies, hotels, and restaurants. The "square" starts with a statue of Hviezdoslav and ends at Morový stĺp, a beautiful Baroque trinity column. Just east of Hviezdoslav Square is the old Slovenské národné divadlo (Slovak National Theatre) building, while just around the corner crowds gather to see the popular Čumil (Rubberneck) sculpture; a cheeky bronze chap peeping out from under a manhole cover.
Bratislava, Bratislavský, 811 02, Slovakia -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Kostol svätej Alžbety
Religious Building/Site/ShrineBratislava's most striking Secession (art nouveau) style building, the Church of St. Elizabeth is noted for its powder blue exterior, which extends all the way up to its 120-foot round tower. The unusual color scheme continues throughout the early-20th-century building, from the blue ceramic roof tiles, mosaics, and maiolica (tin-glazed pottery) decorations outside, to the baby blue pews and arches inside. The church once functioned as the chapel of the school opposite, which is evident in the two buildings' similar design elements (though the school has a rather more traditional color scheme).
Bezručova 2, Bratislava, Bratislavský, 811 09, Slovakia -
7. Landhaus
A magnificent renaissance building erected in the 16th century, the Landhaus is today the seat of the Upper Austrian provincial government. Look inside to see the arcaded courtyard with the Planet Fountain (honoring Johannes Kepler, the astronomer who taught here when it was the city's college) and the Hall of Stone on the first floor, above the barrel-vaulted hall on the ground floor. This hall, the Steinerner Saal, was probably the setting for a noted concert given by the Mozart children in October 1762, from which Count Pálffy hurried back to Vienna to spread the word about the musical prodigies. Adjoining the building is the Minoritenkirche, or Church of the Minor Friars. Once part of the monastery, the present building dates from 1758 and has a delightful Rococo interior with side-altar paintings by Kremser Schmidt and a main altar by Bartolomeo Altomonte.
Landhausplatz 1, Linz, Upper Austria, A-4020, Austria -
8. Mária-oszlop
With its finely sculpted biblical reliefs, the column is a superb specimen of Baroque design. It was erected in 1745 to mark the former site of the medieval Church of Our Lady, which was destroyed by Sopron citizens in 1632 because they feared the Turks would use its steeple as a strategic firing tower.
Várkerület 62, Sopron, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, 9400, Hungary -
9. Schlossberg Castle Ruins
Situated in the heart of Hainburg, these castle ruins (easily approached on foot) are equally appealing for the castle's long and illustrious history and the lovely views from the top. During the 11th century, Hainburg was a fortified town on the far eastern front of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1252, Przemsyl Ottaker, the king of Bohemia, married Duchess Margarethe of Austria here, a union designed to considerably expand his kingdom. The castle had been built shortly before that with part of the ransom received from the capture of King Richard the Lionheart in Dürnstein. The Schloss was attacked many times, most severely by the 1683 Turkish invasion, which also took the lives of 8,000 residents, nearly the entire community. Each summer the town hosts "Burgspiele Hainburg," where open-air plays (often Shakespeare) are performed in German on the castle grounds.
Schlossbergstrasse, Hainburg an der Donau, Lower Austria, A-2410, Austria02165-67365Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Always accessible -
10. Steinertor
The sole survivor of the original four 15th century city gates—the rest of them were razed in the late 1800s, along with the city wall—Steiner Tor remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Krems. A plaque on one side reveals its three major stages of development—construction in 1480 (on the orders of Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III), a Baroque refurb in 1754 (under the reign of Maria Theresa), and a significant renovation in the 1950s—while the other side has coats of arms and other decorative adornments. Look out also for the memorial to a catastrophic ice flood in January 1573.
Obere Landstrasse, Krems, Lower Austria, A-3500, Austria -
11. Stiftskirche
Set among terraced vineyards, the town is landmarked by its gloriously Baroque Stiftskirche, dating from the early 1700s, which sits on a cliff overlooking the river. This cloister church's combination of luminous blue facade and stylish Baroque tower is considered the most beautiful of its kind in Austria.
Dürnstein 1, Dürnstein, Lower Austria, A-3601, Austria -
12. Szent György utca
Neighborhood/StreetThis beautiful Inner Town street runs south from Fő tér to Orsolya tér, where there's an interesting fountain showing Jesus using his crucifix to pierce a snake with an apple. As you walk down the street, you will come across an eclectic mix of architecture coexisting in a surprisingly harmonious fashion. The Erdody Vár (Erdody Palace) at No. 16 is Sopron’s richest rococo building. Two doors down, at No. 12, stands the Eggenberg Ház (Eggenberg House), where the widow of Prince Johann Eggenberg held Protestant services during the harshest days of the Counter-Reformation and beyond. Today, it's home to the Macskakő Múzeum, an interactive children's museum about the everyday lives of people living in ancient times. But the street takes its name from Szent György templom (St. George’s Church), a 14th-century Catholic church so sensitively “Baroqued” some 300 years later that its interior is still as soft as whipped cream.
Sopron, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, 9400, Hungary
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