A model town for the preservation of ancient monuments
The whole of the old town, which is considered one of the most picturesque of its kind, is protected as a historic monument. The many town houses from the 16th - 19th centuries have beautifully maintained baroque or Renaissance facades with lovely window and door surrounds, bay windows and heraldic and stucco decoration. The characteristic round-arch portals lead into the idyllic inner courtyards with covered staircases and arcades, partly with the remains of the town wall from the 16th century. The historic centre has been protected since 1954 by the “Hague Convention”, and in 1975 was designated a "model town for the preservation of ancient monuments" - along with Salzburg and Krems - because it is a “dynamic old town”. This means that the houses still today have their original function as places to live and trade in.
A town for storks
The white stork has a very special significance for Rust and is considered the town’s unofficial heraldic animal. The largest stork colony in the Province is located on the chimneys of the old town. There have been storks in Rust since the turn of the last century (1900s). So as to give the storks ideal living conditions a “Programme for the protection of storks” was set up, its implementation being in the hands of the Rust Stork Association. The storks arrive about 20 March, and fly back at the end of August to overwinter in Africa. The stork population has stabilised in Rust in recent years. Nowadays on average some 15 pairs of storks nest, bringing up about 35 fledglings.
A town for fine wine
In Rust the population lives what in other wine regions is no longer self-evident: traditional, archetypal wine-growing. This has always been the case: Today, as it was hundreds of years ago, wine is the basis of the existence of many Rust families. In this they are making use of what nature offers them. The specific microclimate of Lake Neusiedler, the various soil structures and the altitude differences of the vineyards create an environment for wine-growing which is very well suited for the cultivation of both white and red grape varieties. These natural conditions, combined with the skills of the wine-growers, are the basis of the town’s reputation. Here one experiences what is scarcely found elsewhere anymore: The glory of fine wines.
