august trip.

V.

Hey guys! :)

Oh boy, did I have a busy weekend.. On Friday my bofriend and I decided to visit a city an hour away from the one we live in. It's called Eisenstadt and houses a very old castle called "Schloss Esterházy".

Esterházy Palace is one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Austria and gives an insight on the lives once lived at the court of the Princes Esterházy. However, before we visited the actual palace we first took a stroll through the old town of Eisenstadt and allowed ourselves a quick break at a coffeehouse in front of the castle. 

Back at the castle we gathered in front of the entrance to start our guided tour that went on for about an hour.

We heard some very interesting stories about the Princes and Princesses there as we were walking through their apartments. The so called "apartment of the princess" (which was the title of the exhibition btw) focuses on the living experience of three ladies called: Maria Josepha Hermenegilde, Maria Theresia and Lady Sarah Frederica. 

The exhibition tells of their lives and of special occasions and anecdotes from their biographies. We also found out about the original use of the rooms and some details about everyday life and the role a woman from the nobility was expected to fulfil in the 19th century. 

The other part of the exhibition takes you up to the mezzanine storey above the apartment that is open to the public for the first time. These rooms give you a glimpse of the lives of the servants who served the Princesses. 

Basically, in the summer months the imperial family liked to stay at their palace here in Eisenstadt. 

One of my personal favourites was the "Haydnsaal"  which is hailed as one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world, above all because of its acoustics. Its name goes back to the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, who was in the Esterházy family’s service for almost forty years and composed many of his works here in Eisenstadt.

After visiting this outstanding place, we decided to go get something to eat in a town nearby.

It's called Rust and is known for its renowned Mostheurigen that you can find all around this small city. Rust is situated right next to one of my favourite lakes- Neusiedlersee, which made the visit even more beautiful as we took a quick glimpse at the water after lunch.

It was almost 6pm when we first looked at our watches and I heard Michael say: "You know what, - why don't we stop by the Outlet Center in Parndorf while we're already here.." 

The Parndorf Outlet Center is a cute little artificially built village, inspired by traditional Austrian architecture, that offers designer brands at up to 70% off all year round. 

Besides more than 170 boutiques, you can also visit cafes and restaurants there. My parents and I like to compare it with that idyllic yet creepy artificial town Seahaven from the Truman Show, - a coastal city surrounded by water with simulated weather appearances and so on.. :) We always feel like being an that movie whenever we're in Parndorf..

Mike bought himself a new Ralph Lauren Hoodie and a sweater and later on we got some wine and grape juice as well.

It really was a fantastic day, as I personally love culture trips combined with delicious meals and shooping tours afterwards. :)