Impressions from South & East: Burgenland

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The village well of Rust in the Seewinkel of the Burgenland. In the background, you can see a parish church of the city. Rust had the status of a "Freistadt" (free city) within the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation. This meant, that its citizens ruled the city with no noblemen between them and the Emperor.

This high degree of freedom came for a price: Heavy taxes, which the people of Rust could pay due to their flourishing economy and wine trade. Wine is still the most important agricultural produce of the region and Rust a good base for diving into the great, sweet white wines that the Burgenland is famous for. They are best enjoyed in a traditional wine pub called "Heuriger".