Kittsee: Castle History, Park and Apricot Blossom

Kittsee combines a striking castle complex with village history, cultural events and a well-known apricot tradition. The following stops show what makes Kittsee special.

Kittsee Castle and Cultural Events

Kittsee Castle, a Baroque palace surrounded by a park, stands on the edge of the town center. Its history began in the early 17th century as a manor farm. In the mid-18th century, Prince Paul Anton Esterházy had the building extensively remodeled in the Baroque style. These construction phases provide a timeline for the castle’s history.

Cultural events take place in the interior and park throughout the year. These include the Kittee Summer Festival, the Pannonian Forum, the Cultural Summer, the Cultural Autumn and Advent events. The Pannonian Forum also holds matinees in spring and autumn: they take place on Sundays at 11 a.m. in the ballroom of Kittsee Castle and bring together national and international artists. As individual event dates may change, check the dates for your planned travel period before your trip.

From 1973 to 2008, the Ethnographic Museum was housed in the castle as an outpost of the Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art in Vienna. This period is part of the building’s history and places the museum among its past uses.

Park, Local History and Views

The castle park is used for recreation and walks. There is a children’s playground at the back of the grounds. Visitors interested in the castle and park will find, alongside the building’s history, a dedicated outdoor area to spend time in.

The Heidenturm, also known as the Öder Turm, is believed to be the remains of a late medieval watch and bell tower belonging to the abandoned settlement of Lebarn. It is also the only architectural remnant of the former settlement of Lebarn to have survived the First Ottoman Siege of Vienna in 1529. From the tower’s location, there is a view of the skyline of Pressburg (Bratislava).

The history of the Old Castle is separate from this. Originally, it was a moated castle surrounded by a loop of the Danube. It was built in the 12th century under the Árpád dynasty as a border fortress against Babenberg Austria. The Old Castle’s history therefore reaches back considerably further than the Baroque remodeling of Kittsee Castle.

Another landmark in the town’s history is the architecturally interesting birthplace of Joseph Joachim, located in Kittsee. Joachim was a world-famous violin virtuoso and concertmaster. For those interested in culture, his biography adds a significant musical figure to the town’s architectural and event history.

Village Layout, Landscape and Apricots

Kittsee is arranged as a village around a lens-shaped village green and features elongated, hooked and transverse farmsteads. The village green reflects the distinctive layout of the village; the three types of farmsteads add another aspect to its local architectural character. A protected area was established years ago in part of the Kittsee landscape because great bustards are found there. Thus, alongside the townscape and castle, the village layout and landscape are also among the features that define Kittsee.

The Kittsee apricot blossom is a seasonal reason to visit. It usually occurs in late March or early April; the exact timing depends on the weather, and the blossom attracts numerous visitors every year. Kittsee apricots are used, among other things, to make compote, jam, strudel and apricot dumplings. The blossom is therefore a seasonal highlight, while events at the castle and in the park take place throughout the year.

Discover more destinations: Podersdorf Am See, Pamhagen, Frauenkirchen, Apetlon, Tadten, Zurndorf, Parndorf, Andau

For the overall travel guide: Neusiedl Am See.