A synagogue in the former Jewish quarter, places associated with Haydn, and a Baroque palace offer different ways to explore the city’s history in Eisenstadt. Since 1978, the Austrian Jewish Museum has been housed in the Wertheimerhaus, right in the former Jewish quarter. Its largely preserved ensemble is an exceptional monument to social and settlement history.
Jewish Heritage and Art
Samson Wertheimer’s synagogue can be visited as part of a museum visit. It is Austria’s oldest synagogue to have been preserved in its original function. In the quarter, you can therefore encounter both a site of Jewish history and a remarkable building. The Burgenland State Gallery offers another way to explore the region’s art: its permanent exhibition presents a condensed history of art in Burgenland.
Esterházy Palace and the City’s History
Esterházy Palace is one of Austria’s most beautiful Baroque palaces. Inside, Haydn Hall is considered the palace’s centerpiece. The Wine Museum is also located here, in 330-year-old vaulted cellars, and its exhibition includes more than 700 objects. It provides an overview of the cultural history and rich traditions of winemaking in Burgenland. The palace, musical history and winemaking come together here, though they do not tell the same story: Haydn Hall represents the musical connection, while the Wine Museum represents the region’s winemaking culture.
Haydn’s Legacy in Eisenstadt
The Haydn House was Joseph Haydn’s former home, where he lived for twelve years. Its rooms are furnished with original furniture from Haydn’s time. The Haydn Church on Eisenstadt’s Oberberg hill, the pilgrimage church of “Maria Heimsuchung,” reveals another side of his work. It was built between 1715 and 1803 to plans by Prince Paul I Esterházy. Several of Joseph Haydn’s masses were premiered there under his direction. The church is also home to the famous Haydn organ, built in the gallery according to Haydn’s specifications. The Haydn Mausoleum, Joseph Haydn’s burial place, lies beneath the north tower of the Bergkirche. Together, the house, church and burial place point to different parts of his history in Eisenstadt.
Gardens, Views and Trails
Eisenstadt Palace Park is a significant 19th-century landscaped garden covering almost 50 hectares. Its historic garden grounds include the greenhouses of the Orangery, which rank among the most significant complexes of their kind for their size, variety and number. A round temple in the palace park houses a copy of the statue of Princess Leopoldine Esterházy, created by Italian sculptor Antonio Canova.
The trails in the surrounding area offer different perspectives on time, too. A somewhat steep footpath leads from Esterházy Palace to the Gloriette in the Leitha Mountains; the walk is estimated to take around 20 minutes. From the Gloriette, the view extends across the Wulka Plain to Lake Neusiedl. A hiking route to the 443-meter-high Buchkogel, which has an observation tower, takes 1.5 hours. The Eisenstadt section of the ÖTK maintains about 150 kilometers of marked trails in the western Leitha Mountains. Those who would rather focus on the landscape than architectural history will find a different perspective in the nature reserve in St. Georgen: in the intensively farmed Wulka Valley, it is the largest continuous meadow area and covers about 18 hectares.
Getting There
The bus parking area in Eisenstadt is right next to the cathedral and just a few steps from the pedestrian zone, Esterházy Palace and the Kultur Kongress Zentrum Eisenstadt. The fastest train connection from Vienna Central Station to Eisenstadt on the REX 65 takes 1 hour and 3 minutes. Check the timetable for your travel date when planning your journey.
Discover more destinations: Donnerskirchen, Mörbisch am See, Purbach am Neusiedler See, Eisenstadt, Breitenbrunn, Neufeld an der Leitha, Trausdorf an der Wulka, Schützen am Gebirge, Oggau am Neusiedler See, Loretto, Sankt Margarethen im Burgenland, Wulkaprodersdorf, Klingenbach, Hornstein, Zagersdorf and Oslip.
Back to the main travel guide: Burgenland.
