Lake Neusiedl

The largest endorheic lake in Central Europe, Lake Neusiedl, is located on the Austrian-Hungarian border. The lake has a surface area of 315 km2, of which 240 km2 are in Austria and 75 km2 are in Hungary. The drainage basin for the lake is approximately 1,120 km2. The lake is about 36 km long from north to south and 6 to 12 km wide from east to west. The lake is only 1.8 m deep on average, and its surface rises 115.45 m above the Adriatic Sea.

The majority of the lake is bordered by reeds, which are harvested in the winter as soon as the ice is thick enough and provides a habitat for wildlife (making the lake an important resting point for migratory birds). Human habitation in the area of Lake Neusiedl has been documented since the Neolithic era. Beginning in the 7th century BC, the region started to become heavily populated, originally with members of the Hallstatt civilization and remained so into the Roman era. Here, in 454 AD, Theodoric the Great, the foremost Ostrogoth king, was born. Two Roman villas and a third-century Mithras temple are open to visitors close to Fertrákos.

Location: Austria, Hungary