Schloss Halbturn, which is referred to by Burgenland’s tourist board as one of the state’s most important historical sights, is situated to the east of Lake Neusiedl, no more than a couple of kilometres from the Hungarian border. It dates from the early 18th century, but required extensive rebuilding work after a fire in 1949.
When we visited, on a beautiful late September day last year, a large wedding reception was just getting under way.
The photo below shows the couple’s car—a nicely preserved Mercedes 280S, probably from the late 1960s—just outside the palace’s main entrance.
As the next couple of shots illustrate, claims about Schloss Halbturn being a jewel of the baroque era are no exaggeration.
The various buildings making up the palace enclose a large oblong courtyard. The plan below gives you an idea of the layout.
It also shows the sizeable park which forms part of the palace grounds. Below is a photo of the main entrance into the park.
We used the fantastic weather for a long stroll around it. In one corner of the park, near the exit to Halbturn village, is the palace church (named after St. Joseph).
Its altar dates back to the first quarter of the 18th century.
There is a restaurant at the palace with plenty of outdoor seating. As no entrance or parking charges are levied at Halbturn, you can treat yourself to a coffee and a slice of cake—as we did after our walk.
