Rust & Eisenstadt

Rust

The "royal free city" of Rust - the city of storks and fine wines.
We spent a day in Rust , which is lovely town at lake-side, next to border with Hungary. It's 2 hrs by bus from Vienna, unfortunatelly no direct train there. Rust is famous for:
local wines, which still producted by traditional way

well preserved architecture, includes
The Fischerkirche (Fishermen's Church) which dating back to the 11th century.

and storks

THE STORK AND THE HERON
Once upon a time, in little Austrian town on the lake shore, single and handsome Stork met white and elegant Heron. It was Lonely Heron (so Stork thought). Stork cast interested glances, he opened and closed its wings and made signs - all in vain. Heron staid cold. Then Stork came closer and started a promo-conversation about the weather and coming fall, but she showed him her slim back and continued slow walking - as if he was an empty place! Stork used all possible tricks to attract her: he was delicate, tender, agressive, fun, spontaneous, intelligent and even patheticaly sad. Nothing worked! And then ... Stork's wife appeared, and she took Stork back to the nest.

Rust is photogenic and I took much more photos then I could upload.
So, here is a photostream with very little comments.

The Stadttor - Gate into town walls

The Rathaus Square - main square of Rust

Unfortunatelly it was a market day and narrow streets of old town were filled with kiosks, mainly saling asian goods.

Beautiful and sweet Auge Gottes on the main square.

Local Museum

and another entrance into the center.

View on the town from the lake (below)

and here is the Neusiedl Lake.

The old Fire Tower (I think so)

Famous Romanesque Fisherman's Church - the building dating back to the 11th century. The name "Fischerkirche" has historical origin: legend says about the Fisherman from Rust who saved life of Queen Mary of Hungary. Being very thankful she gave money for Chapel of St. Mary, which is a part of this church.

Later the church passed some more improovements and reconstructions - both, Gothic and Baroque, but most of changes were inside. The last and the newest "addition" was organ, which dating back to 1705. Organ is still located in the choir chancel, is the oldest (still playable!) organ in the province of Burgenland.
There are beautiful fresqoues inside. If you want to see the interior better - look it in my photos on travellerspoint.com.

On this photo below - Evangelische Kirche of Rust. It's sitting next to Fisherman's Church. Rust didnt seem to me t religious place, but there are numerous churches - pretty much for little town.

And the next one is Catolish, I guess

Eisenstadt

Eisenstadt is the capital of Burgenland. The home-place of Joseph Haydn, who used to live and work in the baroque Eszterhazy Palace, and buried in Bergkirche.

Bergkirche better known as Josef Haydn's Kirche




It's something unusual in construction of this church. It "sits" freely lounging, non-spiritual, but down to earth and seems more human being then God 's providence.

Schloss Esterházy

Beautiful baroque palace, houses exhibitions, music concerts and various events.

Rathaus (City Hall), dating to 16th century

About the death. I have to say that these ppl has special relations with the death. It seems that they are not scared at all from the death, but kinda interested how it is going in details and (they are) seing beautiful and romantic side of it. I have numerous photos of art objects from Austria and from Bavaria (Germany) which connected to the death issue, all of them look like calm, resting, sleeping and satisfied. I have to say quite attractive.
I like this point of view :-)

How to get there

It's a bit tricky to get there from Vienna, if your are not local one.
Train exsists, but train station in Eisenstadt is far away from the city center, and Rust, I afraid, impossible to get by train at all.
So, here is direct connection by bus 566 from Südtiroler Platz (U1) in Vienna. Bus runs like each 0,5 hr to/ from Eisenstadt, and a bit less friquently to Rust. Whole the trip takes about 1-1,5 hr each direction. You buy the ticket in the bus, it costs about 8 EU full price and about 1/2 of it for kids, students, pensioners, etc.