3 Best Sights in Eisenstadt, Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

The former palace of the ruling princes reigns over the town. Built in the Baroque style between 1663 and 1672 on the foundations of a medieval castle and later modified, it is still owned by the Esterházy family, who lease it to the provincial government for use mostly as offices. The Esterházy family rooms are worth viewing, and the lavishly decorated Haydn Room, an impressive concert hall where the composer conducted his own works from 1761 until 1790, is still used for presentations of Haydn's works, with musicians often dressed in period garb. The hall is one of several rooms on a guided tour (in English on request if there are at least 10 people) that lasts about 30 minutes. The cellar has the largest wine museum in Austria with 700 objects including a massive wine barrel and historical grape press. A tour of the princess's apartment includes objects relating to three royal women. The park behind the palace is pleasant for a stroll or a picnic, and in late August it's a venue for the Burgenland wine week—Eisenstadt hosts the "Festival of 1,000 Wines"—when there's a two-hour wine tour and tasting at the palace.

The composer Joseph Haydn lived in the simple house on a street that now bears his name from 1766 until 1778. Now a house museum—the house itself, and especially its flower-filled courtyard with the small back rooms, is quite delightful— it contains several first editions of his music and other memorabilia. A guided costumed tour involves tales about love and music in the real Haydn's life.

From 1671 until 1938, the streets Wertheimergasse and Unterbergstrasse formed the boundaries of the Jewish ghetto. During that time Eisenstadt had a considerable Jewish population; today the Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum recalls the experience of Austrian Jews throughout history. A fascinating private synagogue in the complex survived the 1938 terror and is incorporated into the museum.