WIENER NEUSTADT - HOTELS & TOURIST INFORMATION

Wiener Neustadt is situated 45 kilometers South of Vienna and 309 kilometers East of Salzburg.
Heading south from Vienna on the Südautobahn, the former imperial city of Wiener Neustadt is a worth stop. The city was once the official residence of Emperor Friedrich III. Called Allzeit Getreue (forever loyal) because of its loyalty to the throne, this prosperous town between the foothills of the Alps and the edge of the Pannonian lowland is steeped in history.
Wiener Neustadt was established in 1192, when its castle was built by Duke Leopold V of the ruling house of Babenberg as a bulwark against Magyar attacks from the east. From 1440 to 1493, Austrian emperors lived in this fortress in the southeastern corner of the old town. Maximilian I, known as "the last of the knights," was born here in 1459 and lies buried in the Church of St. George in the castle. In 1752, Maria Theresia ordered that the structures comprising the castle be turned into a military academy.
One can visit the St. Georgenkirche (Church of St. George), on Burgplatz 1 daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The gable of the church is adorned with more than one hundred heraldic shields of the Hapsburgs. It is noted for its handsome interior, decorated in the late-Gothic style.
Neukloster, Neuklostergasse 1 is a Cistercian abbey, established in 1250 and reconstructed later in the eighteenth century. The Neuklosterkirche (New Abbey Church), near the Hauptplatz, is Gothic and has a beautiful choir. It contains the tomb of Empress Eleanor of Portugal, wife of Friedrich III and mother of Maximilian I. Mozart's Requiem was first presented here in 1793. Admission is free, and is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to noon and 2 to 5 pm.
Liebfrauenkirche, Domplatz was once the headquarters of an Episcopal see. It is graced by a thirteenth century Romanesque nave, but the choir is Gothic. The west towers have been reconstructed. Admission is free, and the church is open daily from 8 am to noon and 2 to 6 pm.
In the town is a Recturm, Babenberger Ring - a Gothic tower said to have been built with the ransom money paid for Richard the Lion-Hearted. It is open from March to October Tuesday to Thursday from ten am to noon and 2 to 4 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to noon only.
If driving from Vienna, one should head south along Autobahn A2 until reach the junction with Route 21, and at this point head east to Wiener Neustadt.
Trains leave for Wiener Neustadt daily from Vienna's Südbahnhof, from 5:30 am to past midnight (trip takes about half hour). Buses depart from the Wiener Mitte bus station throughout the day on every 15 to 30 minute intervals (trip takes about one hour). The bus drops off passengers in the city centre, at Ungargasse 2. However, most visitors opt for the train.