Ritzing: Trails, Sonnensee and History

Ritzing is in central Burgenland, on the southern edge of the Ödenburg Mountains. The landscape provides a setting for cycling and hiking trails, a municipal nature reserve, Sonnensee and several places of remembrance and culture. When choosing a hotel for your stay, these different themes can help you decide what kind of trip you’re planning: do you want to focus mainly on outdoor activities, a bathing lake or historic sites?

Hiking, cycling and cross-border trails

Ritzing has cycling and hiking trails along the former Iron Curtain. There are also Nordic walking and running routes through the vineyards. This offers different ways to explore the surrounding area on foot or by bike; conditions on individual routes may change.

A border crossing near Ritzing now allows pedestrians and cyclists to take cross-border hiking and cycling routes to the university town of Sopron, 25 km away. Another clearly specified cycling route is the R62 connecting Ritzing and Neckenmarkt: it is 5.75 km long. If you’d like to divide your time between cycling and hiking, these details offer different points of reference for planning. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Nature and Sonnensee

The municipal nature reserve has a short marked trail that passes gently through a variety of habitats. The area includes a wetland along a small stream, a rise with Pannonian dry grassland and a small quarry. The trail and varied habitats give a visit to the reserve its own focus alongside the longer cycling and hiking routes.

Sonnensee is a bathing lake outside the village of Ritzing, near the Helenenschacht district. It can be reached by a well-maintained road. The complex covers 42,000 m² and has extensive sunbathing areas; the water is described as clear and warm. Facilities include water slides, a diving platform, a swimming island, a sandy beach, a beach volleyball court, a children’s playground and tennis courts. If you’re planning to use these facilities during your stay, check access conditions and the current status of individual facilities before your visit.

Mining, memorials and church

The mining monument commemorates Ritzing’s long history of coal mining: mining first took place in open pits and later at Helenenschacht. A memorial stone in front of the mining monument commemorates the victims of the Iron Curtain. A memorial to the victims of the Iron Curtain was unveiled at Helenenschacht on 14 November 2009; one of its memorial stones is dedicated to Josef Faßl.

The Rosalia Chapel also tells part of the village’s history. It was endowed in 1732 by a soldier from Prince Eugene’s victorious armies, in commemoration of the conquest of Belgrade in 1718, and is protected as a historic monument under an ordinance. Ritzing Parish Church is dedicated to the Apostle James the Elder. Its artistically valuable high altar from the 17th century is adorned with consecrated limewood figures.

The Nazi Victims Memorial in Ritzing commemorates the 18 murdered Romani women and men and the three local victims of Nazi “euthanasia.” A memorial plaque lists the victims’ names and dates of birth and death. These places of remembrance offer a different focus from the trails and Sonnensee, making history a distinct theme for your visit.

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Back to the main travel overview: Oberpullendorf.