Oliver Keohane displays on a first-time go to to Eisenstadt, Austria, the place a motoring launch turned an sudden introduction to a small metropolis formed by music, historical past and calm.
Inside Schlosspark, the expansive palace park that unfurls behind Esterházy Palace
There’s a distinct intimacy to Eisenstadt, and a calmness caused by the baroque buildings and the stillness of the streets. Strolling down the cobbled primary street of this small Austrian metropolis, it feels instantly specific that this can be a place that strikes to the optimistic cadences of the classical composer who discovered his dwelling right here, and to the quiet ceremony of historic grandeur.
Eisenstadt is fairly. The title – German for ‘Iron Metropolis’, conjuring smoke and business – doesn’t indicate it. But it has pockets of inexperienced complemented by pastel buildings and uninterrupted horizons.
With solely a handful of higher-end resorts, it’s a metropolis maybe off the overwhelmed monitor for many vacationers, besides music lovers. It appears constructed round three issues: the spectacular Esterházy Palace, Schlosspark (Palace Park), rolling gently into the gap behind the palace itself, and the meticulous, quiet, cafe-dotted cobblestones of the primary road (Hauptstraße).
Two nights (how lengthy I stayed for) are neither too many nor too few to soak up its light historical past. Within the single afternoon of leisure afforded us, I took a protracted stroll, absorbing its character and making an attempt to think about the place’s origins and causes for being, so distant in time and tradition from the place we discover ourselves in historical past now.
Bergkirche, set barely above the city. The burial place of composer Joseph Haydn.
Stretching quietly alongside the Hungarian border, Eisenstadt developed as a court docket metropolis, not an imperial one, due to the Esterházy household – a reputation you might be instantly conscious of upon arrival. The one title I noticed extra of, in truth, was Joseph Haydn. He was a composer, thought-about to be on the coronary heart of classical music and the cultural voice of Vienna and Eisenstadt, who entered the service of the Esterházy Palace, composing, conducting and tending to the musical lifetime of the family.
ALSO READ: Berlin Metropolis – Magnificence and the Beast
Though it could appear in any other case, my curiosity in Eisenstadt was not pushed by a fascination with the origins of classical music or the small metropolis’s patron-like improvement. As an alternative, it was my enthusiasm for off-road automobiles and the launch of a brand new all-terrain tyre that introduced me right here. This tyre can be important for the South African market, which isn’t solely invested in SUVs but additionally has entry to numerous terrains.
The fantastic thing about writing in regards to the motoring business is that the launch of a automobile or an adjunct might be so culturally enriching as a result of it means you journey to a metropolis that will by no means have been in your radar. And you then drive, and as you do, you see a part of the countryside or the mountain or the coast that you could be by no means have seen if confined to the internal metropolis.
Testing the Common Grabber Cross A/S on the Off-Street Zentrum
Common Tire’s Grabber Cross All Season A/S arrived in South Africa within the first quarter of 2026, however we first tried the versatile rubber out on monitor and off-road within the lower-Austrian state of Bruck an der Leitha, a 45-minute drive from Eisenstadt.
Ryan Visagie, the product communications supervisor at Continental Tyre South Africa, and I had been the one two South Africans becoming a member of the pleasant group of European firm representatives overseeing the graceful operation in Austria, together with media personnel from around the globe.
ALSO READ: Cape City on a nook in Amsterdam
Our first style of the tyres was taking them on a brief drive from the monitor testing facility in Teesdorf to the Off-Street Zentrum in Stotzing, 33 ha of tough terrain with various difficulties.
The Grabber Cross A/S is designed with a brand new crossover compound that permits the tyre to carry out successfully in numerous circumstances, together with rain, slush, snow, tar and gravel. Throughout our testing on the Off-Street Zentrum, some tracks had been muddy, whereas others had moist grass and dry surfaces. This selection allowed us to totally check the tyres, which had been all fitted to Volkswagen Tiguan R 4Motions, throughout a variety of off-road circumstances.
The glossy convoy navigated the continual ups and downs of the terrain – there have been 400 ascents and descents on-site. It was initially stunning to see how simply the Volkswagen Tiguans dealt with the panorama, particularly since they aren’t full-fledged 4×4 automobiles. As we drove away from the tracks and into the inexperienced hills, windmills dotted the horizon, making a picturesque scene that completely matched my stereotype of the Austrian countryside. If The Sound of Music had windmills.
Lunch was at Gasthaus Edelmühle, an previous millhouse with its first historic reference recorded in 1375 as ‘the noble mills’. The restaurant serves basic Austrian delicacies, together with cheese spaetzle (just like mac and cheese), pork schnitzel, bread dumplings, perch fillet, and a wide range of hearty, starchy dishes. It’s the sort of meal that makes it laborious to not go to sleep within the passenger seat afterwards.
ALSO READ: Queenstown, New Zealand – God’s personal nation
For the second half of the day, we hit the monitor. Ryan, an avid racer again dwelling in South Africa, was in his aspect, brake testing the brand new tyres on a moist part of the monitor. The distinction in braking time in contrast with the previous rubber was exceptional. To complete off the driving, we took the Tiguans for a number of laps across the Teesdorf monitor, crossing water and swerving obstacles to get an thought of how nicely the tyres can fight aquaplaning and transition to high-speed, fast manoeuvring on the street.
Lodge Galantha
We stayed on the quirky, endearing Lodge Galántha, reverse Esterházy Palace. Whereas the occasion solely lasted two days, and we spent a lot of the second one driving, nothing felt rushed. Outdoors the creative product briefing on the primary day, which used Digital Actuality headsets to showcase the brand new tyre, we had time to wander and luxuriate in a drink on the lodge’s rooftop bar earlier than being wined and dined throughout the street.
Restaurant Henrici, positioned at Esterházyplatz within the coronary heart of Eisenstadt, is located immediately throughout from Schloss Esterházy. This historic restaurant is housed in former princely stables, combining old-world structure with a relaxed, fashionable atmosphere. The menu has dishes that spotlight regional produce from Burgenland.
The place we started our first night on the rooftop bar, we ended our last evening there, after an unimaginable dinner and celebration at Bio-Landgut Esterházy, a big natural farm property and customer expertise vacation spot in Donnerskirchen, Burgenland, close to Lake Neusiedl in japanese Austria. The farm combines sustainable agriculture, regional meals, cultural experiences, and occasions. On our final evening in Eisenstadt, they placed on an excellent buffet, cooking cuts of meat from the property over open flames and scorching stoves, then serving them straight from the hearth.
Closing celebrations at Bio-Landgut, Esterházy
With such restricted time, it’s a ability to host an occasion the place members expertise not solely a product launch, but additionally the place they’ve travelled to. The Common Tire staff took care to make sure that in two days, we had a way of the intimate metropolis that hums its personal candy, scenic tune on the centre of Europe.
IMAGES: Oliver Keohane
Observe Oliver’s adventures on Instagram.
Observe us on social media for extra journey information, inspiration, and guides. You can even tag us to be featured.
TikTok | Instagram | Fb | Twitter
ALSO READ: The Pebble and the Energy of Time, with Kingsley Holgate
