Burgenland, Federal state in eastern Austria.
Burgenland is a federal state in eastern Austria that borders Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia, encompassing nine districts with Eisenstadt as the regional capital. The region stretches from the Pannonian plain to gentle hills and includes vineyards, flat fields and Lake Neusiedl in the north.
After the end of World War I and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, this territory was transferred from Hungary to Austria in 1921. The founding of the federal state took place under difficult circumstances with border disputes and referendums in individual communities.
Local signs in towns and villages often display German, Croatian and Hungarian place names side by side. Residents sometimes switch between languages in everyday conversation, especially in villages close to the Hungarian and Slovak borders.
The region is best explored by car, as public transport runs less frequently in rural areas than in the two statutory cities of Eisenstadt and Rust. Visitor centers and tourism offices in larger towns offer maps and information about cycling and hiking routes.
Lake Neusiedl in the north has no natural outlet and changes size dramatically depending on rainfall and evaporation. This feature influences the local climate and makes the surrounding area warmer and drier than other Austrian regions.
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