When I was first told that I was going for a weekend break to Rust in Austria, I wondered what it was going to be like since I had never been on a weekend break outside the Maltese Islands before. A quick search on the Internet and there it was, – a small tranquil village on Lake Neusiedl in the centre of Burgenland, a 45-minute drive from Austria’s capital city.
I never imagined that I would actually go on a weekend break to a place other than Gozo. But The Malta Independent on Sunday received an invitation from he Malta International Airport for a journalist and his partner to spend a long weekend in this village, which turned out to be the perfect location for a relaxing holiday.
MIA gave me a choice: I could either be picked up at the airport and driven to the hotel or I could drive myself in a leased car. I opted for the latter although I had never driven on the right before, except for a 15-minute drive in Switzerland some four years ago. I was a bit apprehensive but it was a pleasant experience and next time I go abroad, I will definitely rent a car.
At Malta International Airport we were invited to the VIP lounge – comfortable sofas, a coffee and a quick read of the day’s newspapers. We then left on a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, from where we had to catch a connecting flight to Vienna airport. We arrived in Vienna just as it was getting dark. The butterflies in my stomach, which had started fluttering about at the thought of driving abroad for the first time, started turning somersaults as I was not so sure whether I would manage to find my way at night. At the airport, we went to the Thrifty desk and soon after I was sitting in a new Ford Focus.
We set off and had no problem finding the highway which eventually got us to Eisenstadt and then to Rust as the signage is clear and straightforward. When we arrived in Rust, a man in the middle of the road diverted me to a secondary road and as a result, it took me a good half an hour driving around in circles trying to the find the hotel. The streets were quiet and few people were around at the time. All the people I stopped to ask for directions were foreigners and unable to help me but then, luckily, we encountered an elderly man who was parking his car. He tried to explain but his English was poor and I could only understand one word in 10. He then offered to show us the way and we eventually found the hotel, right next to the diversion. It transpired that a film was being shot further down the road and the road was closed to traffic.
We finally arrived at the hotel – the Mooslechner Burgerhaus – a pretty house built nearly half a century ago that has been expertly converted into a small hotel. We were greeted at the door by Tina and were later introduced to her husband Michael. Tina showed us to our room – or better our apartment – which was luxuriously finished and very large. The front door opens onto the kitchen and the next room is a large living room with a television and a stereo. This room leads to the bedroom and finally a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi on one side and an open shower on the other.
We put our luggage in the room and went downstairs since by that time we were famished. Michael, who runs the kitchen, prepared a veal dish, which was delicious. During dinner, we also met Peter Bolech, chief executive officer of Malta International Airport who was coincidentally residing in the same hotel with a couple of friends. We ate and went for a walk around the village, which, unlike the city, is very peaceful at night and worries about traffic were non-existent.
The following morning, after a lavish breakfast, we were told about this place called Pandorf, situated between Rust and Vienna, with over a 100 shops, most of them designer shops – an ideal place for people, like my girlfriend Ann, who are shopaholics. We spent a couple of hours there and went in to each and every shop, most of the time feeling your heart miss a beat after looking at the prices.
After our shopping spree, we drove back to the hotel to wash and rest before setting off for Eisenstadt for a classical concert. I must admit, I’m not a great fan of classical music but I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. After the concert, since we were in a village halfway between Rust and Vienna, we drove to the capital for a night-time drive. Unfortunately, on the way there, we encountered bad weather and the wipers could not keep up with the rain. We arrived in Vienna and drove round some sites but, as the thunderstorm worsened, we decided to head back to our hotel.
On Sunday, after breakfast, when we were planning the day, we decided to be adventurous and drive to Bratislava in Slovakia. We drove for a good two hours, again clear signage helping us immensely. We presented our passports at the border and drove into another country. It’s amazing how you can simply drive from one country to another, something I had never experienced before.
Although it was Sunday, it was business as usual in Bratislava. We drove around the centre and stopped to go for short walk. We then drove to Ikea, a household mega store which has not opened in Malta and never will since the outlet only opens in places where the population surpasses the one million mark. We purchased a number of items for our new flat, had lunch and headed back for Rust since we had a wine tasting activity that afternoon.
Before going to the hotel, we decided to try visit yet another bordering country since the border between Austria and Hungary was only 15 minutes from the hotel. So there we were, on the border of another country. Since we were pressed for time, we could only spend 30 minutes in Hungary.
The wine tasting was a most pleasant experience. I think I’ve never drunk so much wine, especially in the afternoon! The wines were explained, in detail by Barbara, the owner’s daughter, who even gave us a tour of their cellars and explained the process that produce their wines. Later on that evening, we were hosted to a six-course surprise dinner by Tina and Michael. The food was delicious and there was plenty more wine to drink. After dinner we went back to our room to start packing. We had to find a way of stuffing all the items we had bought in suitcases which were already full. Somehow we managed and at four the following morning, we got into the car and drove back to the airport, sad that we were leaving such a beautiful village and returning to the hustle and bustle of Malta.
But all good things come to an end.
Rust, the city of the storks
Rust on Lake Neusiedl, with its 1,700 inhabitants, is the smallest city in Austria. The city of storks and of noble wine, as it is known, has a picturesque collection of well-preserved bourgeois townhouses built between the 16th and 18th centuries. In 1975, the Year of European Architectural Heritage, Rust was chosen as a “model city of landmark presentation”.
The citizens of Rust are very proud of their freedom which they purchased in 1681 with solid and liquid gold. Sixty thousand gold guilders and 500 buckets of Ruster Ausbruch – the vintage of an entire year – went to Emperor Leopold I, who in turn gave Rust the status of a free city.
Rust is surrounded on three sides by three vineyard slopes which enclose the town in a semi-circle. The quaint village lies on the 150 square-kilometre Lake Neusiedl, the largest steppe lake in Europe that positively affects the Rust wine in a particular way.
The Mooslechner Burgerhaus
The Burgerhaus is 470 years old and was carefully renovated by Tina and Michael Mooslechner, who are originally from Salzburg. The hotel offers 11 exclusive suites, a conference room equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, an enchanting restaurant and romantic surroundings.
If someone is after an excellent standard service and an atmosphere that combines exclusiveness and modern interiors with a historical background, then this hotel is the place to be. Tina Mooslechner, a former stylist, carefully renovated this hotel and her taste perfect. The space is used to good effect and the rustic furniture blends very well with the modern interiors and colours.
Rust wines
For our wine tasting experience, we were hosted by Barbara Schandl whose father, Peter Schandl, is one of the main wine producers in the village. The Schandl family has a tradition of viticulture that goes back more than 250 years. The family owns what they describe as “the best sites for vineyards in Rust”. The family owns more than 16 hectares of vineyards. Two-thirds of the area produces various white wines while the rest produces several red varieties.
The Schandl family grows the historical Furmint, Welschriesling and Yellow Muskateller, which are all very old varieties but still very popular.
She explained that Rust has a varied choice of exquisite wines from unique wine-growing areas. In Rust, wine is not only a component of daily life but the basis of the town’s development over the years. Rust has long been regarded as the secret wine capital of Austria and has been exporting wines since the 16th century.
Barbara explained that since Rust is located between hills and the lake, the vegetation of this wine-growing area is greatly influenced by the lake, which regulates climate conditions. This, she said, enables the grapes to thrive and achieve top quality and ripeness. Today, the wines are produced from 400 hectares of vineyards.