My girlfriends and I wanted an out of Vienna summer experience, so we organized a day trip with…read morecombi tickets from the OeBB to the Schloss Hof near Marchegg. The combi ticket costs under 30 euros and includes the train to and from Marchegg, the shuttle from the train station in Marchegg to the Schloss, and a guided indoor tour. The train ride is circa 1 hour. A day is all you need to see the Schloss, however, we were a little pressed for time after the shuttle did not show up at the right time. Apparently there was a break down, but the Schloss was very apologetic and helped us in every way they could. Without the shuttle you are left out in the middle of nowhere at the Marchegg train station (which didn't even have a sign, good thing I ran off the train in enough time to ask where in the world we were!) It's a good 30 minute walk to the Schloss from the train station. At the Schloss we were greeted with Imperial gates, sprawling gardens, sounds of animals, and an enormous stork perched high on a chimney guarding a nest!! Unbelievable! Little did we know that we were in stork country. There was actually a stork festival going on at the same time in Marchegg, but we didn't plan on that. The guided tour in German was incredibly thorough and inspired. The woman sincerely loved her job and loves the history that this old place holds. The Schloss as you see it today has only been renovated since 2005 and some gardens are still under construction, but our tour guide made sure to show us the beautiful balcony views and sneaked us into a hall that was prepared for a wedding. Many of the decorations are replications, but it was nice to see pieces of authentic fabrics, costumes and furniture for comparison. We snacked on sandwiches and iced coffee at one of the smaller restaurants and later enjoyed a spritzer under the setting sun. Unfortunately we had to avoid the larger restaurant near the animal farm due to an overwhelming amount of mosquitoes. Next time- bug spray. But the peacock came out for us and the baby goats gave a show:). A wedding took place and an outdoor theater was underway as we were leaving. It is definitely on my list of places to go again.

The historic Schloss Hof lies in the Marchfeld directly on the Austrian/Slovakian border - but on…read morethe Austrian side. It's a really fine day trip from either Vienna or Bratislava. This is a country palace which over the years belonged to two distinguished personages of the Austrian Empire - the great general Prince Eugene of Savoy and the famous Empress Maria Theresa. Today it is again resplendent in its former glory. There are always events happening (or so it seems) at Schloss Hof so you can often combine history with some festival fun. The Palace is open for touring as are the wonderful Baroque gardens. My only complaint about the gardens is that they are taking forever to restore to their peak condition and the lower terraced gardens have still not been replanted after several years. Do it. It will be one of the most spectacular garden and fountain settings in all of Europe. They end almost on the border with Slovakia. The out buildings at Schloss Hof are numerous from an orangery, stables, farm, petting zoo, café, and shops. There are a few ways to easily get to Schloss Hof. However you reach this impressive country palace, estate, and gardens - I'm pretty sure you are going to find the visit extremely worthwhile!