Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
cater well to cyclists. It's possible to do a full circuit of the lake but the southern section
clips Hungarian territory.
To top it all off there are acres of vineyards, making some of Austria's best wines.
Rust, on the western shore of the lake, is a perfect place to sample wine in a
Heuriger
.
Information
Neusiedler See Tourismus
( 02167-8600;
www.neusiedlersee.com
;
Obere Hauptstrasse 24, Neusiedl am See;
8am-5pm Mon-Fri)
The main information centre for the entire lake region.
Getting Around
From late spring to early autumn ferries connect Illmitz with Mörbisch, Rust, and Fer-
törákos in Hungary; Rust with Podersdorf, Breitenbrunn and Fertörákos; and Breiten-
brunn with Podersdorf. See
www.neusiedlersee.com
for current schedules and prices.
Bus connections are frequent.
Rust
02685 / POP 1900
Rust, 14km east of Eisenstadt, is one of the most agreeable towns that cluster around the
Neusiedler See. Its reed seashore and hidden boatsheds give it a sleepy, swampy feel on a
steamy day, and in the summer months storks glide lazily overhead, make out with each
other and clack their beaks from rooftop roosts. Dozens of storks make their homes on
chimneys in town, although it's wine, not storks, that has made Rust prosperous. In 1524
the emperor granted local vintners the right to display the letter 'R' (a distinctive insignia
as a mark of origin from Rust) on their wine barrels and today the corks still bear this in-
signia. It's best to sample this history in one of the town's many
Heurigen
.
Sights & Activities
Rust's affluent past has left a legacy of attractive burgher houses on and around the main
squares. Storks, which descend on the town from the end of March to rear their young,
take full advantage of these houses (and their kindly owners, who have erected metal
platforms on chimneys to entice the storks). The clacking of expectant parents can be
heard till late August.
