Halbturn Castle is just four kilometers away from the Mönchhof museum area, a masterpiece of baroque architecture that was built by Lucas von Hildebrandt for Emperor Charles VI in 1711 as a hunting lodge and summer residence. Even the Habsburg emperor appreciated the sunny side of life in Seewinkel. Halbturn became one of his favorite residences, and founded its own stud farm in 1717, providing horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. After an eventful history, the castle is now privately owned by the Waldbott-Bassenheim family, who lives there in the “Roter Hof”, taking its name from the red roof tiles.
The castle puts on a variety of annual exhibitions with a cultural and historical focus, and in Restaurant Knappenstöckl, you can enjoy traditional Pannonian and classic Austrian cuisine. You can also spend the night in the hotel of the same name.
With all its charm, it is no surprise that the baroque gem is a popular location for film shoots and weddings.
The “Maria auf der Heide” basilica in Frauenkirchen is also well worth a detour. At the intersection of several pilgrim routes, just a few kilometers south of the museum village, the baroque church is a real architectural gem. Paul Esterházy had the church rebuilt in the seventeenth century after the previous church was destroyed during the Great Turkish War. Pope John Paul II designated the church as a basilica in 1990. Visible from afar, it is a popular destination for pilgrimages, and is considered by many to be the most beautiful church in Burgenland.
Both places are easily accessible by bike.