The Burgenland with Children

The Burgenland is rather popular for "active" holidays, dedicated to walking, cycling and general relaxation. Birdwatching is not necessarily a big deal for children, but commonly done in the Neusiedlersee area. Holidays in the Burgenland with children usually involve swimming at one of the thermal spas (Thermalbad), some cycling and of course the many castles of the province.

Many of them can be covered if you follow the "Road of Castles" or "Schlösserstraße". There are also various kinds of water sports that people do on Lake Neusiedlersee, such as windsurfing or sailing; this is best done at Podersdorf, since this is where you can actually get through the reed and access the water.

Several wildlife- and theme parks within reach make attractive destinations for day-trips. Please see the appropriate articles on "Theme Parks of Austria" for details. There are also separate articles on "Wildlife- and Safariparks in Austria" and "Zoos and Aquariums in Austria" that might be useful if you plan a trip to the Burgenland with children. Obviously, a lot of wildlife can also be seen at the National Park Neusiedlersee. The visitor centre in Illmitz has a small exhibition on the park that is perfectly suitable for children.

Entertaining Kids on a Burgenland Vacation...

A noteworthy theme park is "Müllers Märchenpark", a fairy-tale park with animated figures on a bad-hair-day. It can be found near St. Margarethen, the village with the Roman quarry. Ideal for a day-trip if you want to combine it with a stop-over at the picturesque town of Rust. The fairy-tale park has elements of a zoo: Enclosures with more or less exotic animals and a petting farm. Two proper wildlife parks can be found in Pamhagen ("Steppentierpark") and Güssing ("Clusius Naturwildpark").

If you want to learn more about the regional history, take your children to one of the many castles in the Burgenland. Almost all of them have made good use of EU subsidies for tourism - the Burgenland was somewhat underdeveloped and got a lot of aid to improve its infrastructure. Many castles were renovated and now have lively shows and exhibitions. A nice open-air museum (Freilichtmuseum) can be found in Gerersdorf-Sulz near Güssing. Once again, there is a separate article on Freilichtmuseums in Austria.

An entertaining anecdote from the time of the Turkish wars is told in Purbach - a Turkish soldier got drunk, fell asleep in a cellar and was arrested by the villagers of Purbach. Today, a small museum recalls the story; it is by no means a big deal, but has proved to be very popular with children. For details on Purbach and its surroundings, please see my article on the Seewinkel area.

Back to "Burgenland Sightseeing Guide"

Austrian Provinces with Children

Vorarlberg - Tyrol - Upper Austria - Lower Austria - Vienna - Carinthia - Styria - Burgenland

Sightseeing by Austrian Province

Bregenz and Vorarlberg - Innsbruck and Tyrol - Salzburg - Salzkammergut - Graz and Styria - Klagenfurt and Carinthia - Wachau and Lower Austria - Vienna - Burgenland

Further Reading

Official Website of the Burgenland



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