Attractions and Places To See around Haslau-Maria Ellend - Top 20

Viewing the Danube and seeing the geography of the land as it changes through time.

The Danube-Auen National Park is one of the last large, intact floodplain landscapes in Central Europe. It stretches along the Danube between Vienna and Bratislava and covers an area of around 9,600 hectares. The national park protects this unique river landscape, which is characterized by a dynamic interplay of floods, gravel banks, old watercourses and floodplain forests. The national park was created after the successful protests against the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in Hainburg in the 1980s. The protection of the floodplains became a milestone in the Austrian environmental movement. The Danube flows largely unregulated in this section, which means that natural flooding and changes in the course of the river remain possible. This dynamic creates diverse habitats.

Orth Castle is one of the oldest surviving castles in the region and has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. The castle was first mentioned in the 12th century and was originally a medieval moated castle. In the 16th century, the castle was converted into a Renaissance palace. Over the centuries, it served various noble families and was later taken over by the municipality. Today, it is a listed building, is an important part of Lower Austria's cultural heritage and is particularly known as the Danube-Auen National Park Center. The castle houses the national park's visitor center, which is dedicated to the unique flora and fauna of this protected floodplain landscape. Orth Castle is located right in the heart of the Danube-Auen National Park, one of the last great floodplain landscapes in Central Europe. It combines historical architecture with modern environmental education. An ideal place to learn more about the fascinating floodplain landscape and its importance for nature conservation while enjoying the beauty of the surroundings.

Beautiful castle! Unfortunately you have to take quite a detour to get to the courtyard.

Beautiful, the old arms of the Danube and the venerable forests!

Great cycle paths and beautiful nature

On the castle island you don't need much luck to see pond turtles, grass snakes, ground squirrels and you can look into the storks' nests.

Welcome to the gateway to the Au Orth Castle has an eventful history. Built in the 12th century as a medieval moated castle and once the hunting lodge of Crown Prince Rudolf, it was used as a museum from 1950 onwards. In 2005, after reconstruction and renovation, it reopened as the castleORTH National Park Centre. Information point and visitor centre for the Danube-Auen National Park are now located here. Individual guests, groups, kindergartens and schools are welcome. You will find the following under one roof: - Tourism and National Park information point with booking and shop - Exhibition of the Danube Auen rooms and National Park Lounge - Auen adventure area on the castle island with underwater observation station - Observation tower with the new exhibition "Eavesdropping on nature" - Tournament courtyard with the plant presentation "Pannonian Gardens" - Family celebrations, summer holiday programme, performances by the travelling Autheater - museumORTH, which focuses on the history of the Danube community of Orth - Historically significant Renaissance spiral staircase