50km (31 miles) SE of Vienna
When Burgenland joined Austria in the 1920s, it was a province without a capital -- its former seat of government, Ödenburg (now the far-western Hungarian city of Sopron), voted to remain a part of Hungary. In 1924, Burgenlanders bestowed the honor on Eisenstadt. This small town lies at the foot of the Leitha Mountains, at the beginning of the steppe extending into Hungary. Surrounded by vineyards, forests, and fruit trees, it's a convenient stop for exploring Lake Neusiedl, 10km (6 miles) east.
