Rust

Introducing Rust

Rust, 14km east of Eisenstadt, is one of the prettiest towns along the Neusiedler See. It brims with Heurigen, has a reed seashore and hidden boatsheds, giving it a sleepy, swampy feel on a steamy day, and in the summer months storks glide lazily overhead, make out with each other, and clack their beaks agitato from rooftop roosts. Dozens of storks roost on chimneys in town, although it’s wine, not storks, that has made Rust prosperous. In 1524 the emperor granted local vintners the right to display the letter ‘R’ (a distinctive insignia as a mark of origin from Rust) on their wine barrels and today the corks still bear this insignia. It’s best to sample this history in one of the town’s many Heurigen.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009