Inside the grounds, with vegetables from its own garden
Restaurant Kräutergarten
What to order: the seasonal dish with vegetables from the palace garden.
Daily during the grounds' opening hours · Only with a Schloss Hof ticket
geocalia
Day itinerary · 48.21° N · 16.93° E
Three Marchfeld castles in a day, from the Danube forest to Prince Eugene's palace, 45 minutes from Vienna.
In the morning, Schloss Orth and its island in the Donau-Auen National Park and the imperial lodge at Eckartsau; lunch at the Kräutergarten and the afternoon in the gardens of Schloss Hof.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Viena fromBarcelona 2 h 30Palma de Mallorca 2 h 30Alicante 3 hMadrid 3 hValencia 3 hMálaga 3 h 30Fuerteventura 5 h 15Gran Canaria 5 h 30Tenerife Sur 5 h 30
Part of Schloss Hof and the Marchfeld
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car45 min each way
Car45 min to Orth; about 55 back from Schloss Hof
AdmissionSchloss Orth €15 · Schloss Hof €24
DifficultyEasy
Season20 March to 1 November
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Vienna 45 min by car
east along the north bank of the Danube, via Groß-Enzersdorf
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1
Schloss Orth, the Donau-Auen National Park centre
opens at 9:00 · €15; family €30 · tower viewpoint and Schlossinsel island
- 15 min by car9,4 km
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2
Schloss Eckartsau and its park in the Danube forest
park and playground free · information and café from 21 March to 1 November
- 15 min by car14,9 km
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3
Restaurant Kräutergarten
inside the grounds: buy the Schloss Hof ticket first
Schloßhof 1, 2294 Schloßhof · +43 2285 20000
Restaurant €€Book - 5 min on foot
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4
Schloss Hof Palace and Baroque Gardens
€24; family €61.50 · no dogs · closes at 18:00
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Back home 1 h by car
via the B49 and the A4, or via Groß-Enzersdorf
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Schloss Orth, the Donau-Auen National Park centre
The Marchfeld, the plain that opens east of Vienna between the Danube and the March, was the Habsburgs' hunting ground. Its castles remain, each with its own character: Schloss Orth, a four-towered castle turned into the gateway of the Donau-Auen National Park; Eckartsau, the imperial hunting lodge in the middle of the floodplain forest; and Schloss Hof, the Baroque palace of Prince Eugene and Maria Theresa. Together they fill a relaxed day by car, with short journeys between them.
The day, hour by hour
9:00 · Leave Vienna. East along the north bank of the Danube, about 45 minutes to Orth an der Donau.
9:45 · Schloss Orth. The centre of the Donau-Auen National Park: the "Im Fluss" exhibition on the life of the river, the tower viewpoint and, outside, the Schlossinsel island, with walkways for watching riverside wildlife and play areas for children. About two hours. €15 for adults and €30 for the family.
11:45 · Schloss Eckartsau. Fifteen minutes further east. The castle park, free and open all year, has a natural playground; from 21 March to 1 November the information point and café open, and there are guided historical tours.
13:00 · Lunch at the Kräutergarten. Twenty minutes away, already at Schloss Hof. The restaurant is inside the grounds and you can only enter with the palace ticket: buy it on arrival and start with lunch. They cook with what they pick in the palace garden.
14:15 · Schloss Hof. The imperial rooms and the terraced gardens that descend towards the March, with the Neptune fountain and, from April to October, the water running. A good three hours. €24 for adults and €61.50 for the family. Dogs not admitted.
17:45 · Return. About 55 minutes to Vienna.
If you go with children or it rains
With children, extend Schloss Orth: the Schlossinsel island has walkways and play areas, and Eckartsau a natural playground. In the rain, stay longer inside the Orth exhibition and the rooms of Schloss Hof, and skip the Eckartsau park.
Time2 h
Change the route
To eat without entering the grounds yet, at the palace entrance; its opening hours are not published, call ahead:
Gasthof Prinz Eugen
From March to August, instead of Eckartsau: the storks in the oaks of Marchegg, 10 km from Schloss Hof:
The Marchegg stork colony
In November and December, with Orth closed: the Christmas market weekends, Schloss Hof only:
Schloss Hof Christmas Market
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Coffee and strudel in the arcaded courtyard
Café Arkadenhof
What to order: a strudel with coffee in the arcaded courtyard.
Inside the grounds · During palace opening hours
Gasthof Prinz Eugen
What to order: a seasonal dish on the terrace with a view of the palace courtyard.
At the entrance to the grounds · Terrace for 120 people
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Schloss Hof and the Marchfeld
Late March to early November, when Schloss Orth and Eckartsau castle are open; from April to October, the Schloss Hof fountains also run. From November to March, Schloss Orth is closed: go only to Schloss Hof.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the Schloss Hof ticket before lunch
The Kräutergarten only admits people with a grounds ticket.
- 2Guided tours at Orth, at the weekend
On Saturdays and Sundays there are guided tours for a supplement.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Between €60 and €100 per person with the two tickets and lunch, not counting the car.
Is it open all year?
No. Schloss Orth is closed from 2 November to 19 March; Schloss Hof is open all year.
Can I go with a dog?
To Schloss Hof, no. Ask at Orth and Eckartsau, which are inside the national park.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/austria/lower-austria/schloss-hof/itineraries/orth-and-eckartsau-castles-by-car
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.