Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape Historical Site

Fert / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape is a transboundary cultural landscape on the AustriaHungary border inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. It centres on Lake Neusiedl (Fert) and the surrounding low-lying plain in eastern Austria and western Hungary.

The property combines extensive reedbeds and seasonal wetlands with cultivated plains, vineyards and compact historic villages. Highlights include watersports and shoreline paths, extensive birdwatching opportunities in the reedbeds and small-scale wine-producing villages that frame the lake.

The landscape evolved over many centuries through a mix of pastoralism, fishing, reed harvesting and viticulture; settlements and field patterns reflect long-term rural land use rather than a single founding event. Protection as a cultural landscape recognises both the natural wetland systems and the historic agricultural practices that shaped them.

The site straddles the border between Austria’s Burgenland and northwestern Hungary, occupying the low-lying plain around Lake Neusiedl. It lies in eastern Central Europe, with towns and villages clustered around the lake shore and plains.

• Birdlife and wetlands: Important reedbeds and wetlands form one of the largest continuous reed zones in Central Europe and are a key stopover for migratory waterbirds.
• Mixed cultural and natural values: The cultural landscape combines lake-based activities, traditional viticulture and compact historic settlements that have shaped the shoreline and plain for centuries.

What to See#

• Lake Neusiedl / Fert
  51: The shallow steppe lake at the heart of the property, shared between Austria and Hungary, with extensive reedbeds and seasonal wetlands that support migratory birds and traditional fishing.
• Vineyard landscapes and villages: Compact historic towns and villages adjacent to the lake where traditional viticulture and small-scale agriculture persist alongside 18th and 19th century rural architecture.

By public transit, reach Neusiedl am See from Vienna via Railjet or regional trains in about 45-60 minutes; Rust and Illmitz are served by local buses from Neusiedl. From the Hungarian side, Sopron is the nearest rail hub. Driving is straightforward: the A4 from Vienna crosses into Burgenland; follow signs for Neusiedl am See and the Seewinkel reserve. Cycling between villages and shorelines is the classic way to move here-routes are signposted and mostly flat.

• Rent a bike in Rust or Illmitz and follow the marked cycle routes to experience reedbeds and shallow lake shores up close.
• Early morning or late evening bring the best birdwatching; bring binoculars for pygmy cormorants and ferruginous ducks.
• Visit the Austrian side's Seewinkel Nature Park visitor center (Illmitz) for maps and guided-walk schedules - boat tours operate seasonally.