In the Oberpullendorf district, the Roman Amber Road links a historical theme with a present-day route: it once connected the Roman cities of Savaria (Szombathely) and Scarbantia (Sopron). Today, it has been developed as the B47 cycle route from Strebersdorf to Deutschkreutz. Information boards along the route provide details about Roman trade, military life, architecture and everyday culture. A bike tour on the B47 thus combines exercise with tangible insights into the region’s history.
Castles, music and town history
The past also comes to life in different ways at individual sites. Landsee Castle Ruins are among the largest castle ruins in Central Europe. Lockenhaus Castle was built around 1200 as a fortress to protect against attacks from the east. There, you can explore medieval architecture and join guided tours about the Knights Templar, Elisabeth Báthory and the large colony of greater horseshoe bats. You can also choose a castle puzzle rally or the “From Squire to Knight” exhibition.
In Raiding, the Liszt Museum and Liszt Centre are dedicated to the life and work of Franz Liszt. At the composer’s birthplace, the permanent exhibition comprises three sections on his life, his music and his ideas. The concert hall next to his birth house is a venue for the Liszt Festival Raiding, whose programme includes piano and orchestral concerts, song and choral evenings, and cross-border performances featuring premieres and improvisations on Liszt’s work. In the town of Oberpullendorf itself, the Roman Catholic Church of St Francis is the oldest building.
Crafts and cultural life
The Stoob Pottery Museum focuses on a centuries-old craft tradition that is still practised in Stoob today. During group tours, master potters from Stoob demonstrate on site how ceramics are made; the items can also be purchased. The Weaving Museum offers a different insight into traditional crafts: it documents basket weaving in Piringsdorf and is located in the showrooms of the Böhm-Korbwaren company. In Steinberg, tours of the Koó family’s blue-dye workshop can be arranged with the family; please agree on a date in advance.
MUBA displays historical tools and equipment, pictures and video footage, model masonry structures and a replica industrial chimney. In GroĂźwarasdorf, KUGA offers a different cultural focus. Young activists from the Burgenland Croat community founded the cultural centre in 1982 to preserve their language and culture. Its programme includes concerts, readings, theatre, cabaret, dance, exhibitions, workshops and courses.
Landscape and outdoor activities
The Landseer Berge Nature Park covers approximately 6,500 hectares and is a protected landscape area. Its varied cultural landscape offers hiking, cycling and riding trails. If you would like to explore a railway line using your own power, the Sonnenland Draisinentour offers a different kind of activity: the ride is 23 kilometres long and passes through the landscapes of Central Burgenland. On even-numbered days, the rail bikes run from Horitschon or Neckenmarkt to Oberpullendorf; on odd-numbered days, they travel in the opposite direction. You can return by public transport or by a shuttle for a fee. Since operating arrangements may change, check the latest information on the direction of travel and return journey before setting off.
At Lockenhaus Castle Lake, the Bee Nature Trail is a circular route with stations about the lives of bees and an observation hive. Public showers, toilets and bike-washing facilities are available at the lake. The Lockenhaus Castle Lake Skill Park has a blue, a red and a black line, as well as an uphill trail for riding technique, jumps and balance exercises. The Sonnenland Ropes Course offers everything from a low ropes area and a motor skills course to high ropes courses and a Flying Fox on two levels, with varying degrees of difficulty.
Wine and regional offerings
In Oberpullendorf, the farmers’ market takes place almost every week from April to October; individual dates may vary. In Deutschkreutz, the regional wine centre offers more than 250 wines for tasting. You can also discover wine along the Blaufränkisch Trail: guided tours with a local winemaker, including a wine tasting, can be booked.
Discover more destinations: Ritzing, Deutschkreutz, Lutzmannsburg, Frankenau-Unterpullendorf, Kroatisch Minihof, Stoob, Strebersdorf, Raiding, Oberloisdorf, Neckenmarkt, Mannersdorf An Der Rabnitz, Nikitsch, Rattersdorf, Markt Sankt Martin, Karl, GroĂźmutschen, Steinberg, Nebersdorf, Oberpullendorf, DraĂźmarkt, Horitschon, Haschendorf, Lackenbach, Neutal, Weppersdorf.
Back to the overview of destinations: Burgenland.
