Lake Neusiedl (german: Neusiedler See), or Fertő ( hu, Fertő (tó); hr, Nežidersko jezero, Niuzaljsko jezero; sl, Nežidersko jezero; sk, Neziderské jazero; cs, Neziderské jezero) is the
largest
Large means of great size.
Large may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics
* Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers
* Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms (or ...
endorheic lake
An endorheic lake (also called a sink lake or terminal lake) is a collection of water within an endorheic basin, or sink, with no evident outlet. Endorheic lakes are generally saline as a result of being unable to get rid of solutes left in the l ...
in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
, straddling the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n–
Hungarian border. The lake covers , of which is on the Austrian side and on the Hungarian side. The lake's
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
has an area of about . From north to south, the lake is about long, and it is between and wide from east to west. On average, the lake's surface is above the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
and the lake is no more than deep.
Water level fluctuations
In the past, rainfall and aridity caused significant floods (which in 1768 enlarged the lake to its maximum documented size of ) and significant decreases in the lake's level, although frequently there seemed to be no apparent connection with the weather situation.
Stratigraphy shows that the lake bed has totally dried up at least 100 times since its formation (18,000–14,000 BC). During recent history the lake's complete disappearance has been documented in considerable detail on several occasions, e.g. in 1740–1742, 1811–1813, and most recently in 1866, when the private diary of a local, Gottlieb Wenzel, noted that he crossed the bed of the lake on 4 June without soiling his boots. Parts of the lake bed were claimed for agriculture; wheat and turnips were being planted. However, in 1871 the lake began to return and by the spring of 1876 it had already reassumed its usual size. The last (brief and partial) vanishing took place during the summer of 1949 when the northern part of the lake bed (to the approximate latitude of
Podersdorf) fell dry for a few weeks. Each time the drying-up of the lake bed caused major environmental disruptions because the humidifying and temperature buffering effect of the large water body was absent, and because the winds blew large amounts of salty dust into the surrounding villages. On earlier occasions the lake was sometimes referred to as a "swamp", suggesting a very low water level with an expansion of reeds throughout the lake bed. Two records dated to 1318 and 1324, respectively mention a "river", implying that at this time the lake might have been reduced to a central body of water running from north to south.
Today the water level is controlled by an artificial outflow, the , and a
sluice
Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...
on Hungarian territory near
Fertőújlak, and bilateral issues are dealt with by the Austro-Hungarian water commission which was established in 1956. However, comparatively minor fluctuations of the lake's level continue to occur. In 1965 the lake gained of water within a single month, raising its level by . The water level decreased to a similar extent, by within one year as a result of the drought of 2003. Both types of events are perfectly within the normal range, and because of the shallowness of the water can be either exacerbated or compensated by the effects of wind pressure, which can temporarily raise or reduce the local water level by as much as . However, the lake remains sensitive to changes in its equilibrium, as recent
climate change scenario
Climate change scenarios or socioeconomic scenarios are projections of future greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions used by analysts to assess future Climate change vulnerability, vulnerability to climate change. Scenarios and ...
simulations have shown.
Before the regulation works of the 19th century, the lake extended in the southeast to the marshlands of the
Hanság (german: Waasen) which have been increasingly drained and claimed for agriculture from the 16th century onward. Originally, the lake was thus closely connected to the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
and the
Rába
The Rába (german: Raab; hu, Rába; sl, Raba ) is a river in southeastern Austria and western Hungary and a right tributary of the Danube.
Geography
Its source is in Austria, some kilometres east of Bruck an der Mur below Heubodenhöhe Hill. ...
river systems.
Nature and wildlife
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
Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
) and are harvested in winter as soon as the ice is solid enough. This serves a double purpose, one ecological (removal of the bulk of organic matter that would otherwise decay in the lake) and one economic (the reed is sold for various purposes, mostly related to construction and housing). During the summer months, there are occasional reed fires, as dry reed is easily flammable, and fires spread quickly because of the almost constant wind. Water quality is determined by temperature, wind, and by the amount of
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
and
mud
A MUD (; originally multi-user dungeon, with later variants multi-user dimension and multi-user domain) is a Multiplayer video game, multiplayer Time-keeping systems in games#Real-time, real-time virtual world, usually Text-based game, text-bas ...
emanating with the ground water from the
sediments
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand a ...
.
Several plans for dams and other intrusive construction works which would have destroyed the lake and its biotopes were discussed during the first half of the 20th century but came to nothing. Detailed plans to divide the lake bed with earthworks so that certain parts with reasonably fertile soil could be permanently drained and claimed for agriculture while the remaining parts would be used for intensive aquaculture had been finalized and approved in 1918 but were abandoned when most of the lake became Austrian territory after World War I. In 1971 plans for a bridge across the Austrian part of the lake were thwarted by environmentalists.
In 1993 the
National Park Neusiedler See-Seewinkel
The Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park (german: Nationalpark Neusiedler See-Seewinkel) is a national park in eastern Austria. The park extends over an area of 97 square kilometres of the province of Burgenland and protects parts of the western ...
gained international acceptance as an IUCN Category II preserve. In 2001 the
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s in Austria and
Fertő-Hanság in Hungary were together accepted as a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
. Lake Neusiedl See and its surrounding areas in Austria also enjoy protection through the
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...
on Wetlands.
Mammals
Over 40 mammal species have been recorded from the area, including the
European ground squirrel
The European ground squirrel (''Spermophilus citellus''), also known as the European souslik, is a species from the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is among the few European species in the genus ''Spermophilus''. Like all squirrels, it is a member ...
, the
steppe polecat and the
European hamster
The European hamster (''Cricetus cricetus''), also known as the Eurasian hamster, black-bellied hamster or common hamster, is the only species of hamster in the genus ''Cricetus''. It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large part ...
.
Birds
In the area over 300 bird species have been recorded. Of these, around 150 breed, representing around 40% of the European and 80% of all Austrian bird species. The area contains one of the largest breeding populations of
great egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and ...
s, with up to 700 pairs. There are also around 35 pairs of
grey heron
The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more northern ...
and 70 pairs of
great bustard
The great bustard (''Otis tarda'') is a bird in the bustard family, the only member of the genus ''Otis''. It breeds in open grasslands and farmland from northern Morocco, South and Central Europe, to temperate Central and East Asia. European po ...
. One of the best known bird species in the area is the
white stork
The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
, which is seen as a symbol of the region. Other species present include
Eurasian spoonbill
The Eurasian spoonbill (''Platalea leucorodia''), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name ''Platalea'' is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the b ...
,
purple heron,
eastern imperial eagle
The eastern imperial eagle (''Aquila heliaca'') is a large bird of prey that breeds in southeastern Europe and extensively through West and Central Asia. Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, the Middle East and South ...
,
white-tailed eagle
The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...
,
greylag goose
The greylag goose or graylag goose (''Anser anser'') is a species of large goose in the waterfowl family Anatidae and the type species of the genus ''Anser''. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and pink legs. A ...
,
golden oriole
The Eurasian golden oriole (''Oriolus oriolus'') also called the common golden oriole, is the only member of the Old World oriole family of passerine birds breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europe and P ...
,
European bee-eater
The European bee-eater (''Merops apiaster'') is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family, Meropidae. It breeds in southern and central Europe, northern and southern Africa, and western Asia. Except for the resident southern African populatio ...
,
pied avocet
The pied avocet (''Recurvirostra avosetta'') is a large black and white wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. They breed in temperate Europe and across the Palearctic to Central Asia then on to the Russian Far East. It is a mig ...
,
ruff
Ruff may refer to:
Places
*Ruff, Virginia, United States, an unincorporated community
*Ruff, Washington, United States, an unincorporated community
Other uses
*Ruff (bird) (''Calidris pugnax'' or ''Philomachus pugnax''), a bird in the wader fami ...
,
Kentish plover
The Kentish plover (''Charadrius alexandrinus'') is a small cosmopolitan shorebird (40-44 g) of the family Charadriidae that breeds on the shores of saline lakes, lagoons, and coasts, populating sand dunes, marshes, semi-arid desert, and tundra.Sz ...
,
common tern
The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory ...
,
common redshank
The common redshank or simply redshank (''Tringa totanus'') is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.
Taxonomy
The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ...
,
black-tailed godwit
The black-tailed godwit (''Limosa limosa'') is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, ''Limosa''. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest ...
,
Eurasian curlew
The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred t ...
,
western yellow wagtail
The western yellow wagtail (''Motacilla flava'') is a small passerine in the wagtail family Motacillidae, which also includes the pipits and longclaws.
This species breeds in much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is resident in the milder parts ...
,
short-eared owl
The short-eared owl (''Asio flammeus'') is a widespread grassland species in the family Strigidae. Owls belonging to genus ''Asio'' are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or ...
,
Montagu's harrier
Montagu's harrier (''Circus pygargus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of Montagu's harrier was by the Swedish na ...
and many others which are of interest to local and visiting birdwatchers.
Fish
Native fish species include the
pike
Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to:
Fish
* Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus''
* Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes
* ''Esox'', genus of ...
,
zander
The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Percidae, which includes the perches, ruffes and darters. It is found in freshwater and brackish habitats in western Eurasia. It is a popul ...
,
European carp
The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...
and
wels catfish
The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been introd ...
, alongside numerous
minnows
Minnow is the common name for a number of species of small freshwater fish, belonging to several genera of the families Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae. They are also known in Ireland as pinkeens.
Smaller fish in the subfamily Leusciscidae are co ...
, such as
stickleback
The sticklebacks are a family of ray-finned fishes, the Gasterosteidae which have a Holarctic distribution in fresh, brackish and marine waters. They were thought to be related to the pipefish and seahorses but are now thought to be more closel ...
,
common bleak,
white bream
''Blicca bjoerkna'', alternatively called the white bream or the silver bream, is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae.
Distribution
''Blicca bjoerkna'' is distributed across most of Europe and in adjacent Western Asi ...
,
common bream
The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream, carp bream or sweaty bream (''Abramis brama''), is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is now considered to be the only species in the genus ''Abramis''.
...
and
ruffe
The Eurasian ruffe (''Gymnocephalus cernua''), also known as ruffe or pope, is a freshwater fish found in temperate regions of Europe and northern Asia. It has been introduced into the Great Lakes of North America, reportedly with unfortuna ...
. The
European eel
The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They are normally around and rarely reach more than , but can reach a length of up to in exceptional cases.
Eels have been important sources of fo ...
is not native to the lake, but was introduced as a food source for humans. Due to environmental concerns, further releases of young eels has been recently banned. The
Prussian carp
The Prussian carp, silver Prussian carp or Gibel carp (''Carassius gibelio''), is a member of the family Cyprinidae, which includes many other fish, such as the common carp, goldfish, and the smaller minnows. It is a medium-sized cyprinid, and d ...
has also been introduced to the lake, alongside the
pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed (''Lepomis gibbosus''), also referred to as pond perch, common sunfish, punkie, sunfish, sunny, and kivver, is a small/medium-sized North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Lepomis'' (true sunfishes), from family Centrarchi ...
.
Herptiles
The
European tree frog
The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...
is a common species in the area. Other amphibians that can be found, especially in the reed belt and the lakeside edge, include
common toad
The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a frog found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, and some Mediterranean islands), in ...
,
European green toad
The European green toad (''Bufotes viridis'') is a species of toad found in steppes, mountainous areas, semi-deserts, urban areas and other habitats in mainland Europe, ranging from far eastern France and Denmark to the Balkans and Western Russi ...
,
common spadefoot
''Pelobates fuscus'' is a species of toad in the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from Central Europe to Western Asia. It is commonly known as the common spadefoot, garlic toad, the common spadefoot toad and the European common spa ...
,
moor frog
The moor frog (''Rana arvalis'') is a slim, reddish-brown, semiaquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. Moor frogs are known for their ability to freeze solid and survive thawing. The frog makes use of various cryoprotectants i.e. antifreeze ...
,
agile frog
The agile frog (''Rana dalmatina'') is a European frog in the genus ''Rana'' of the true frog family, Ranidae.
Description
This species is fat and has long limbs and a pointy snout. Adult males are rarely larger than 6.5 cm, while females ...
,
pool frog
The pool frog (''Pelophylax lessonae'') is a European frog in the family Ranidae. Its specific name was chosen by the Italian herpetologist Lorenzo Camerano in 1882, in order to honour his master Michele Lessona.
Description
The pool frog is ...
,
marsh frog
The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia.
Description
The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...
,
edible frog
The edible frog (''Pelophylax'' kl. ''esculentus'') is a species of common European frog, also known as the common water frog or green frog (however, this latter term is also used for the North American species ''Rana clamitans'').
It is used ...
and the
European fire-bellied toad
The European fire-bellied toad (''Bombina bombina'') is a species of fire-bellied toad native to eastern parts of mainland Europe, where it can be found near waterbodies such as ponds and marshes. It is known for its red colored belly used to war ...
.
Danube crested newt
The Danube crested newt or Danube newt (''Triturus dobrogicus'') is a species of newt found in central and eastern Europe, along the basin of the Danube river and some of its tributaries and in the Dnieper delta. It has a smaller and more slender ...
and
smooth newt are also present.
Reptiles are represented by the
grass snake
The grass snake (''Natrix natrix''), sometimes called the ringed snake or water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous colubrid snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.
Subspecies
Many subspecies are recogniz ...
and a number of lizard species including the
European green lizard
The European green lizard (''Lacerta viridis'') is a large lizard distributed across European midlatitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, ...
,
sand lizard
The sand lizard (''Lacerta agilis'') is a lacertid lizard distributed across most of Europe from France and across the continent to Lake Baikal in Russia. It does not occur in European Turkey. Its distribution is often patchy. In the sand lizard ...
and the
common lizard
The viviparous lizard, or common lizard, (''Zootoca vivipara'', formerly ''Lacerta vivipara''), is a Eurasian lizard. It lives farther north than any other species of non-marine reptile, and is named for the fact that it is viviparous, meaning it ...
. Occasionally,
dice snake
Dice (singular die or dice) are small, throwable objects with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. They are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, role-playing ga ...
s may be seen, but the
meadow viper, which was previously identified around the lake, has not been seen since 1973.
Towns and villages around the lake
Traces of human settlement around Lake Neusiedl go back to the
neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
period. The area became densely populated from the 7th century BC onward, initially by people of the
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Western Europe, Western and Central European Archaeological culture, culture of Late Bronze Age Europe, Bronze Age (Hallstatt A, Hallstatt B) from the 12th to 8th centuries BC and Early Iron Age Europe ...
and remained so throughout Roman times. In 454
Theodoric the Great
Theodoric (or Theoderic) the Great (454 – 30 August 526), also called Theodoric the Amal ( got, , *Þiudareiks; Greek: , romanized: ; Latin: ), was king of the Ostrogoths (471–526), and ruler of the independent Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy b ...
, the preeminent king of the
Ostrogoths
The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic peoples, Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Goths, Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the larg ...
, was born here. Near
Fertőrákos
Fertőrákos (german: Kroisbach) is a village in the county of Győr-Moson-Sopron in Hungary. In 2001 it had a population of 2,182.
It is located at , about from Sopron, near Lake Fertő (German: ''Neusiedler See'') and the Austrian border. In ...
there are two Roman villas and a 3rd-century
Mithras
Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion centered on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras is linke ...
temple open to visitors.
The more important extant towns lying on the lake's shore are
Illmitz
Illmitz (; hu, Illmic) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria. It is located in a region to the east of the Lake Neusiedl (German: Neusiedlersee; Hungarian: Fertő tó) which is named the ''Seewinkel'' (lake ...
(Illmic),
Podersdorf am See
Podersdorf am See ( hu, Pátfalu) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in the east of Austria on the shore of the Neusiedler See. It is home to a windmill and lake (pictured below).
The town is a local center of tour ...
(Pátfalu),
Weiden (Védeny),
Neusiedl am See
Neusiedl am See (; cs, Nezider; hr, Niuzalj; hu, Nezsider; sk, Nezider) is a town in Burgenland, Austria, and administrative center of the district of Neusiedl am See.
Neusiedl am See is located on the northern shore of the Neusiedler See.
...
(Nezsider),
Jois ''For people with the surname, see Jois (surname).''
Jois (; hu, Nyulas) is a small town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Eastern Austria. It is on the northern shore of Lake Neusiedl, which straddles the border with Hungary.
...
(Nyulas),
Winden (Sásony),
Breitenbrunn (Fertőszéleskút),
Purbach am Neusiedlersee
Purbach am Neusiedlersee ( hu, Feketeváros), which is sometimes written as Purbach am Neusiedler See or Purbach am See, is a town in the Austrian state of Burgenland known for its viticulture.Donnerskirchen
Donnerskirchen ( hu, Fertőfehéregyháza, hr, Bijela Crikva) is a market town in the district Eisenstadt-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Burgenland.
History
World War II
During World War II a small concentration camp was located near the vi ...
(Fertőfehéregyháza),
Oggau (Oka),
Rust
Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH ...
(Ruszt) and
Mörbisch (Fertőmeggyes) in Austria, and
Sopron
Sopron (; german: Ödenburg, ; sl, Šopron) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő.
History
Ancient times-13th century
When the area that is today Western Hungary was a province of the Roman Empire, a ...
,
Fertőrákos
Fertőrákos (german: Kroisbach) is a village in the county of Győr-Moson-Sopron in Hungary. In 2001 it had a population of 2,182.
It is located at , about from Sopron, near Lake Fertő (German: ''Neusiedler See'') and the Austrian border. In ...
,
Fertőboz
Fertőboz (german: Holling) is a village in Győr-Moson-Sopron county, Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine t ...
,
Fertőd
Fertőd is a town in the Győr-Moson-Sopron county of Hungary, not far from Austria. Fertőd was formed when the towns of Eszterháza and Süttör were unified, in 1950.
It is the location of one of Hungary's best known palaces, Eszterháza, whic ...
,
Balf
Balf () is a town in Hungary, a district of Sopron
Sopron (; german: Ödenburg, ; sl, Šopron) is a city in Hungary on the Austrian border, near Lake Neusiedl/Lake Fertő.
History
Ancient times-13th century
When the area that is today W ...
and
Fertőújlak in Hungary, with the communities of
Illmitz
Illmitz (; hu, Illmic) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria. It is located in a region to the east of the Lake Neusiedl (German: Neusiedlersee; Hungarian: Fertő tó) which is named the ''Seewinkel'' (lake ...
,
Apetlon
Apetlon (, hu, Mosonbánfalva) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria. It is located in a region to the east of Lake Neusiedl (German: Neusiedler See; Hungarian: Fertő tó) which is named the ''Seewinkel'' ...
(Mosonbánfalva) and
Podersdorf am See
Podersdorf am See ( hu, Pátfalu) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in the east of Austria on the shore of the Neusiedler See. It is home to a windmill and lake (pictured below).
The town is a local center of tour ...
forming the so-called
Seewinkel (lake corner), which is located between the lake and the Hungarian border. Hungarian names of Austrian towns lying on the lake's shore are given in parentheses.
Gallery
File:Podersdorf nordstrand abendstimmung 1.jpg, Podersdorf am See
Podersdorf am See ( hu, Pátfalu) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in the east of Austria on the shore of the Neusiedler See. It is home to a windmill and lake (pictured below).
The town is a local center of tour ...
/ Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
File:Donnerskirchen.jpg, Donnerskirchen
Donnerskirchen ( hu, Fertőfehéregyháza, hr, Bijela Crikva) is a market town in the district Eisenstadt-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Burgenland.
History
World War II
During World War II a small concentration camp was located near the vi ...
/ Austria
File:Rust1.jpg, White stork
The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
's nest typical of the region
File:Basilika Frauenkirchen.JPG, Frauenkirchen
Frauenkirchen ( hu, Boldogasszony, Fertőboldogasszony, Fertő-Boldogasszony) is an Austrian town in the district of Neusiedl am See, Burgenland.
History
The first mentioning of Frauenkirchen was in 1324 as "Szent Maria". During the Siege of Vi ...
/ Austria
File:Eisenstadt - Schloss Esterhazy.JPG, Schloss Esterházy
Schloss Esterházy ( hu, Esterházy-kastély) is a palace in Eisenstadt, Austria, the capital of the Burgenland state. It was constructed in the late 13th century, and came under ownership of the Hungarian Esterházy family in 1622. Under Paul ...
/ Austria
File:Neusiedler See -- Podersdorf.jpg, Lake Neusiedl at Podersdorf during sunset
File:Fertőrákos Kroisbach Bischöflicher Steinbruch 01.JPG, Cave in Fertőrákos
Fertőrákos (german: Kroisbach) is a village in the county of Győr-Moson-Sopron in Hungary. In 2001 it had a population of 2,182.
It is located at , about from Sopron, near Lake Fertő (German: ''Neusiedler See'') and the Austrian border. In ...
/ Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
File:Fertőszéplak Tájházak.jpg, Fertőszéplak / Hungary
File:Nagycenk kastély.jpg, Széchenyi Palace in Nagycenk / Hungary
File:Sarród Felújított parasztházak.jpg, Sarród / Hungary
File:Fertőd- (3).JPG, Esterházy Palace
The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, during the time that it ...
/ Hungary
File:Fertőrákos z03.jpg, Fertő tó
Tourism
Despite remaining a protected wildlife habitat, the region of Lake Neusiedl, particularly in its Austrian part, draws significant numbers of tourists. The lake is known as the "Sea of the Viennese", as it offers ample opportunities for
sailing
Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
and
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
at a reasonable distance from
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. There is also some
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television)
** Radio advertisement
** Television advertisement
* (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
.
Low water levels pose a problem for sailing and commercial shipping, as boats hit the ground more frequently and mooring sites can become temporarily unusable. However, it somewhat facilitates the annual freestyle mass crossing of the lake from
Mörbisch to
Illmitz
Illmitz (; hu, Illmic) is a market town in the district of Neusiedl am See in Burgenland in Austria. It is located in a region to the east of the Lake Neusiedl (German: Neusiedlersee; Hungarian: Fertő tó) which is named the ''Seewinkel'' (lake ...
. Everybody who can swim and is more than in height can participate in this event, which was revived in 2004.
See also
*
Wulka
The Wulka () is a river of Burgenland, Austria. Its basin area is .
The river springs near Forchtenstein and the border to Lower Austria. It flows through Trausdorf an der Wulka and discharges near Donnerskirchen into Lake Neusiedl, in former t ...
*
List of lakes
This is a list of the top three to five major lakes per region, with links to more detailed region lists of lakes. A "major" lake is defined as that which is the largest by area, depth, volume, or cultural and/or environmental significance.
A ...
*
List of World Heritage Sites in Austria
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural herit ...
References
External links
*
Lake Neusiedl at funiq.hu
{{Authority control
Neusiedl
World Heritage Sites in Austria
World Heritage Sites in Hungary
Ramsar sites in Hungary
Ramsar sites in Austria
Biosphere reserves of Austria
Biosphere reserves of Hungary
Neusiedl am See District
Eisenstadt-Umgebung District
Geography of Győr-Moson-Sopron County
Sopron
Austria–Hungary border
Neusiedl
Neusiedl
Neusiedl
Tourist attractions in Burgenland