The Marchfeld Castle Region will launch its new season in March 2026 with an expanded cultural and events program.
The historic sites of Schloss Hof, Schloss Eckartsau, and Schloss Orth an der Donau are opening their gates to the public, focusing on a combination of historical education and stately garden architecture. While Schloss Hof kicks things off on March 7th with its traditional Easter market, the other sites will follow later in the month. However, a disappointment for visitors is the temporary closure of Schloss Niederweiden, which will be inaccessible to the public throughout 2026 due to extensive renovations.
At Schloss Hof, the season is dedicated to Baroque garden design. The new special exhibition, "Playful Symmetry – The Baroque Garden as a Work of Art," explores the precise design and technical innovations of historic parks. The differences between Baroque and Renaissance landscape gardens are illustrated through sculptures and water features. The grounds, which once served as a hunting lodge for Prince Eugene of Savoy and were later acquired by Maria Theresa, are considered one of the most important Baroque ensembles in Europe. Investments in the revitalization of the terraced gardens in recent years are further solidifying Schloss Hof's position as a leading tourist destination in eastern Austria.
The National Park Center at Orth Castle on the Danube is celebrating a special anniversary this year. To mark the 30th anniversary of the Danube-Auen National Park, a new permanent exhibition, "In Flux," has been created. This exhibition highlights the ecological importance of the river landscape and presents current research findings on the regional wildlife. A new feature is an integrated ticketing system that allows access to all the castle's attractions, including the castle island and the observation tower, with a single ticket. In addition, Eckartsau Castle will open on March 21st with a focus on family-friendly activities. Besides interactive costumed tours, the "Spähikel" nature observation vehicle will be on hand to introduce visitors to the flora and fauna of the adjacent floodplains.
The economic importance of the castle region for the Marchfeld area is considerable, as the castles serve as key drivers of local tourism between the metropolitan areas of Vienna and Bratislava. The close network of castles provides a thematic framework, ranging from imperial history to modern natural science. Furthermore, the special exhibition "This Picture Always Has the Last Word" opens at museumORTH on March 21, expanding the cultural offerings of the market town. Through a combination of traditional markets, high-caliber castle concerts in May, and modern exhibition formats, the Marchfeld Castle Region aims to increase visitor numbers in 2026 compared to the previous year.