The best traffic-free bike rides around Apetlon

The Zicklacke (also called Illmitzer Zicksee) near Illmitz is one of the best-known and largest salt lakes in the Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park. These shallow bodies of water are characterized by their high salt content and regularly dry out during hot summer months, leaving behind characteristic whitish salt efflorescences. They serve as an essential habitat for rare, salt-adapted plants (halophytes) and as a central resting and breeding ground for numerous protected bird species, making them a popular destination for nature observations from viewing towers.

It serves as an ideal observation point for the rich birdlife and, thanks to an accessible ramp, also accommodates visitors with prams or wheelchairs. Due to its location directly on regional cycle paths and hiking trails, the tower is a popular stopover for nature observation in the Seewinkel.

The Zicksee near St. Andrä am Zicksee is a typical, extremely shallow salt lake in the Seewinkel region, which depends significantly on precipitation and groundwater levels. Due to persistent droughts, the lake almost completely dried up in the summer of 2022, after which the fish population had to be caught. In the meantime, the water level has recovered due to abundant rainfall, which means the Zicksee continues to be an important biotope for rare steppe birds and a popular excursion destination in the region.

Die Lange Lacke is the largest and best-known of the more than 40 shallow salt lakes in Burgenland's Seewinkel. As it depends solely on precipitation and groundwater, it often dries out completely in hot summers, leaving behind a distinctive, white salt crust. As a strictly protected nature reserve, it offers a vital resting place for tens of thousands of migratory birds, which is why you can observe a unique natural spectacle there, especially in spring and autumn.

The historic shaduf wells are a defining landmark of the Pannonian cultural landscape around Lake Neusiedl. Originally, they were used to supply drinking water to livestock on the vast steppe pastures by simplifying drawing water with the long lever beam. Today, the remaining wells stand as protected cultural monuments in the landscape and also serve many birds of prey as popular vantage and resting points.

The Darscho (also known as Warmsee) is an approximately 50-hectare, shallow salt lake north of Apetlon in the Neusiedler See – Seewinkel National Park. It has no surface inflow or outflow, which is why its water level fluctuates extremely, and when it evaporates in summer, characteristic white soda salt efflorescences form. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage, the shallow body of water serves as an important resting and breeding ground for numerous rare water birds, making the area particularly popular with birdwatchers.

The Fürst Paul V. Esterházy Observation Tower (often simply referred to as the Sandeck Cycle Path Observation Tower) is a modern viewing platform near Illmitz. The platform was built as part of the cross-border nature conservation project PaNaNet and blends harmoniously into the flat Pannonian landscape with its wooden architecture. The tower stands on stilts, thus avoiding any soil sealing during its construction.

The Austro-Hungarian Baroque Donkeys (also called Goldschimmel) are a very special attraction and an important part of nature conservation in the national park. After the decline of the monarchy, the animals were almost extinct. It was only at the end of the 20th century that the rescue of the breed began. Today, there are only a few hundred specimens worldwide again, making them continue to be among the highly endangered domestic animal breeds.