Ice-skating on the natural ice of Neusiedlersee (Burgenland)

Date: Saturday ... 2004, on short notice (when the ice is thick enough)

Suggested by: Peter Levenitschnig

Starting Point: Seebad Neusiedl am See

Ending Point: Seebad Neusiedl am See

Length of activity in hours/kilometers, grade of difficulty:
It depends only on us and the ice conditions: If there is little snow on the ice we could make a trip straight in the middle of the lake southwards and back or skate the direction to Podersdorf. If there is too much snow, in any case an area around Seebad Neusiedl ic cleared from snow where we can skate. Normally the restaurant within Seebad is open at least at the weekend when there is possibility for skating so there is a chance for a warm drink in between.

Meeting point: Schnellbahnstation Neusiedl am See.

Meeting time: 10.00 a.m. (arrival of train from Vienna)

Ending point and time: Some time in the afternoon, at Seerestaurant Neusiedl or Schnellbahnstation.

Car Connections: Motorway A4 (Ostautobahn) Vienna - Bruck a.d. Leitha, then exit Neusiedl am See. After a steep downhill part of the road at the traffic light crossing turn right. After some hundred meters on the left there is the Schnellbahn-Station Neusiedl am See, our meeting point. People arriving by train order a taxi to the lake (Seebad Neusiedl) or the car drivers play shuttle bus (only some kilometers). We organize this after meeting at the station. Vienna - Neusiedl: 57 km

Train Connections: Schnellbahn from Wien Suedbahnhof (Bahnsteige/platforms of OSTBAHN!!!), departure 8.59 a.m., arrival Neusiedl 10.03 a.m.
Return: Departures at 3.03, 5.03 p.m. or 5.50 p.m bus from Hauptplatz.

Equipment: Ice skating shoes and skaters, warm clothes, wind- and weatherproof, perhaps some warm drink in thermos flask. After changing shoes some people take their normal shoes with them in a small daypack, others just leave them near the lake. - Sun glasses, sun cream ???

Additional Remarks
Neusiedlersee is very shallow, so in case the ice should break you have a fair chance to survive :-)