Illmitz National Park Information Centre

This information centre for visitors of the Lake Neusiedl - Seewinkel National Park on Austrian territory was established in 1996.  It is located at the northern end of Illmitz between the Lake Neusiedl bicycle trail and the road to Podersdorf and covers an area of 1,300 m2.
The building has been constructed on the principles of solar architecture.

Guests who are interested in nature will find topical information according to the season, varying exhibitions, a library for visitors, video shows, a national park shop as well as seminar and conference rooms.  A 12 m high observation tower offers views over the Seewinkel landscape.
 
Experiencing nature
The open landscapes, a tight network of trails and the corresponding infrastructure in the national park ensure an incomparable nature experience.  The majority of the almost 300 bird species can be seen outdoors with the help of field scopes or binoculars. 
From March to November visitors can participate in excursions or receive practical and current information if they want to experience nature on their own. 
 
Nature tourism and bird watching, in particular, have drawn visitors from all over Europe to the Seewinkel for sixty years.  Since the establishment of the national park, Austrians have also discovered this fascinating pastime.  The ideal period for bird watching is from the end of March to early June, and maybe a bit longer after rainy winters: The diversity of birds is especially high during migration season when the vegetation is still low and temperatures are not too high yet.  Autumnal bird migration also has its exciting highlights in store for the amateur ornithologist.
 
Some important tips for bird watchers: Use high-quality binoculars (e.g. 8 x 50, 10 x 50) or field scopes with tripods (e.g. with zoom ocular 20 – 60), for animal photographs use a focal length of 400 mm and higher.  You can obtain a bird checklist with details on frequency for migratory and breeding species at the information centre.  There you will also find different books for the identification of birds.  In the individual parts of the national park conservation zone there are some 20 elevated lookouts that are excellent for bird watching.  You will usually find them along the bicycle trails; some of them can even be accessed by car or are suited for wheelchairs.  Never leave the trails in the total area of the national park!  This would even be counterproductive to bird watching because most species in the areas in question would immediately take to flight. 
 
Contact:
National Park Lake Neusiedl - Seewinkel
Information Centre
A-7142 Illmitz
Phone: 02175/34420
E-Mail: info@nationalpark-neusiedlersee-seewinkel.at
Internet: www.nationalpark-neusiedlersee-seewinkel.at
 
Opening hours:
01 May to 30 September            Mon – Fri 9.00 – 18.00 hours, Sat/Sun 10.00 – 17.00 hours
April and October                      Mon – Fri 9.00 – 17.00 hours, Sat/Sun 12.00 – 17.00 hours
01 November to 31 March         Mon – Fri 8.00 – 16.00 hours
 
How to get there:
From Wien
via S-Bahn (Neusiedl/See, every hour), connecting bus to Illmitz (stop Feuerwehrhaus). Train schedule at www.vor.at;
by car: follow motorway A4, exit at Weiden/Gols via Podersdorf.
From Hungary
crossing the border at Pamhagen, open from 5.00 to 24.00 hours. 

17.02.2011,