Discover Sankt Margarethen in Burgenland

Sankt Margarethen in Burgenland lies in the Rust Hills. Its cultural highlights range from opera in the quarry and the Passion plays to memorial sites and historic buildings. At the same time, signposted paths lead to stone sculptures and pass a European ground squirrel colony; cyclists can also ride the B10 Neusiedler See Cycle Route directly from the town. This means there are different interests to choose from when planning your trip: open-air opera, local history and outdoor activities.

Opera and the Quarry

The St. Margarethen quarry is one of Austria’s oldest active dimension stone quarries. Since 1996, it has served as the setting for the annual Opera in the Quarry. The performances combine a spectacular natural backdrop, impressive architecture and world-class opera to create an open-air experience amid the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Fertő–Neusiedler See. The area around the quarry has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. If you would like to plan your trip around an opera performance, check the current event dates in advance.

Passion Plays and Memorial Sites

The history of the Passion plays began in 1926, when young people performed them for the first time in a farmhouse barn under the guidance of their priest. In the early 1960s, the Roman quarry became the venue for the St. Margarethen Passion plays. These two stages differ in when they took place and in their respective venues.

The Gateway to Freedom Memorial Site includes a park, a walking path with informative display boards, the Peace Bell and preserved remains of the Iron Curtain. Here, a path, information on site and historical evidence come together. The St. Margarethen charnel house is another distinct landmark in the town’s history: this Early Gothic ossuary dates from the 14th century and is connected to a cemetery chapel.

Kogl Chapel was built in 1713, during the year of the plague, at the highest point of the Kogl. In 1971, it was rededicated as a memorial chapel for returning soldiers. These two dates mark different stages in its history: its original construction and its later rededication.

Paths, Sculptures and Landscape

The signposted circular trail, Weg über den Berg, leads to around 50 stone sculptures on Koglberg. A marked path passes a European ground squirrel colony and the edge of the sandstone quarry. The Rust Hills also have extensive, species-rich dry grasslands that provide a refuge for many animal and plant species that have become rare today. The routes therefore highlight both works of art and the quarry landscape, as well as the distinctive features of the local countryside.

Cyclists can ride the B10 Neusiedler See Cycle Route directly from Sankt Margarethen. The connecting cycle path starts right by the leisure centre. This gives cyclists two specific planning points: the option of joining the B10 from the town and the starting point of the connecting cycle path.

If you are looking for a hotel in Sankt Margarethen in Burgenland, the purpose of your trip can help you decide. If you are attending an opera performance, plan around the specific event dates; a cultural and historical trip or outdoor activities will call for different priorities. This way, you can first decide what kind of stay you want and then search for a suitable hotel.

Discover more destinations: Trausdorf an der Wulka, Klingenbach, Wulkaprodersdorf, Neufeld an der Leitha, Zagersdorf, Oggau am Neusiedler See, Purbach am Neusiedler See, Schützen am Gebirge

Back to the main travel overview: Eisenstadt.