Fertö/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape - World Heritage Site

Fertö/Neusiedlersee

Fertö/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape is the result of the symbiotic process of human interaction with second largest steppe lake in Central Europe.

Traces of human settlement around Lake Neusiedl go back to the neolithic period. The area became densely populated from the 7th century BC onward, initially by people of the Hallstatt culture and remained so throughout Roman times.

The designated area comprises of the settlements of Podersdorf, Illmitz and Apetion, parts of Rust and Fertörákos, the Palace of Nagycenk and Fertöd Palace.

Most of the lake is surrounded by reeds which serve as a habitat for wildlife (making the lake an important resting place for migratory birds) and are harvested in winter as soon as the ice is solid enough.

Year	Decision	Comments
2003	Name change	From "Cultural Landscape of Fert?/Neusiedlersee" to "Fert?/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape"
2001	Inscribed	Reasons for inscription
1996	Deferred	As Neusiedlersee/Seewinkel; Bureau - Austria to consider nominmating jointly with Hungary

Reviews

john booth (New Zealand):

My circumnambulation of the Austrian part of the lake was similar to Hubert's, but instead using trains, buses, ferries and foot power. The best vantage points for seeing the lake appeared to be from the upper deck's of the ferries.

I also visited the sumptuous Esterhazy Palace in Fertod on the Hungarian side. An Austrian train links both sides of the lake to Fertoszentmiklos on the Sopron to Gyor line.
The visit was accompanied by entertainment provided by a string quartet.

Date posted: December 2012

Hubert Scharnagl (Austria):

Lake Neusiedl is a shallow steppe lake without large natural inflows, its water balance is determined almost exclusively by evaporation and rainfall. It's amazing that the water depth is nowhere more than about 2 meters. The lake is very young, it was formed about 13,000 years ago by tectonic movement. The lake is almost completely surrounded by a reed belt that is the habitat for rare animals and the breeding area for many migratory birds. In particular, the lake is attractive for bird watchers, but is also popular with sailors and sail boarders. The special climate - many days of sunshine, mild climate in the fall - provides ideal conditions for wine growing. There are many vineyards around the lake and both, red and white wines are excellent. I think the inscription is justified both for cultural and natural criteria.
The best way to explore Lake Neusiedl is a bicycle tour. We started our day tour in Rust and cycled around the entire Austrian part of the lake (a total of approximately 80 km). In Morbisch we took the ferry to Illmitz, the ferry is only for cyclists and hikers. During the crossing we've got a good impression of the dense reed belt, nowhere you can see a real shoreline. On the east side, the so-called Seewinkel, the cycle path leads through an area with many small saline lakes. We've seen a lot of birds and there are several look-outs, from where you have nice views over the lake and the surrounding landscape. Unfortunately, the headwind was very strong and sometimes it was hard to get forward. We had a first larger break in Podersdorf. Here is the only part of the lake where the reed has a gap and you have access to the lakeside. In Podersdorf is also the pier for tour boats. On the west side of the lake the reed belt is larger, in some areas it is several kilometres wide. The cycle track passes through some lovely towns with typical wine cellars, like in Breitenbronn and Purbach. There we had a few breaks and we sampled the local wine. We stayed overnight in Rust, the most beautiful town at the lake, with many wine taverns and inns.

Date posted: May 2012

Assif Am-David (Israel):
On a day trip from Vienna we travelled to Rust, by far the most famous resort aside the Neusiedlersee. It has a beautiful town square which makes most of the town. You can view some storches nests on the chimneys and buy local wine and pumpkin. Rust also has views of the famous reed steppe and the birds which attend it. You can also hike for 20 minutes to a beach. I was somewhat disappointed there is no spot where you can have a clear panorama of the lake but later found out this is true for all of the towns along its shores. This is the result of both the hight reed and its ever changing form. I certainly agree with one of the reviews I read that although the Neusiedlersee constitutes a unique environment which is the result of human interaction with nature, it is very difficult to experience this on your visit. Still it is a very nice rural area and worth the trouble of coming.

Date posted: October 2011

Pavel Matejicek (Czech Republic):
I must admit that Ferto/Neusiedlersee deserves to be the WHC place. Nevetheless, it is a bit difficult to recognize its quality: small villages and large palaces scattered in the flat landscape surrounding the shallow lake. The only way how one can admire the overall scenery of the site is standing on the ridge of hills located on western side of the lake.

Date posted: December 2010

Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
Lake Neusiedl is a popular tourist destination for Austrians, the so-called "Sea of the Viennese" for all kinds of water-sports and other recreational activities. It is also a cultural landscape worth visiting, especially the charming little town of Rust and the many castles in the area. The site is also well known for its natural qualities, especially the almost Asian steppe areas and the birdlife, since many species from Europe have the easternmost point of their range here, and many Asian species their westernmost. Together with the natural reserves on the Hungarian side, the site is one of Europe´s premier birdwatching areas. As far as I know, it was originally nominated as a mixed site for both cultural and natural criteria. Why UNESCO chose to accept only the cultural criteria, I don´t know.

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