Schloss Hof

Prince Eugene of Savoy bought the estate in 1725 and had Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt turn it into a country seat - the same architect and patron as the Belvedere in Vienna, working here on a rural scale. Maria Theresa acquired it in 1755 and added a storey. The gardens are the reason to come: seven terraces stepping down from the house towards the March river and the Slovak border, with fountains, cascades, sculpture and clipped hedging, restored in the 2000s after long decline to something close to the eighteenth-century plan, which makes them among the best surviving baroque terrace gardens in central Europe. The farm buildings hold a working estate with rare breeds, horses and poultry, and seasonal markets and festivals run through the year.

What you actually see

• Seven baroque terraces - the garden stepping down towards the March river.
• Hildebrandt's country house - built for Prince Eugene, raised by Maria Theresa.
• A restored eighteenth-century layout - fountains, cascades and hedging brought back.
• A working estate farm - rare breed animals and horses in the outbuildings.

When to go

April to October; the gardens peak in early summer. A day.

Honest expectations

Closed or much reduced in winter. The site is large and the terraces are a long walk with steps. Very exposed in summer heat. Events crowd the grounds on some weekends.

Nearby

Schloss Niederweiden is next door; Marchegg and the stork colony are north.