Podersdorf

The village of Podersdorf, on the eastern shore of Neusiedler Lake, marks the beginning of the unusual Hungarian puszta, the great flat steppe dotted with occasional windmills and wells with their long, characteristic wooden poles for drawing up water. Some of the picturesque houses in Podersdorf have typical thatched roofs, and in summer their chimneys are often occupied by storks nesting after wintering in Egypt. Because it's relatively free of reeds, Podersdorf is a popular spot for swimming in the lake. A circular tour of about 70 km (44 mi) by car or bicycle would cover nearly everything of interest. Twice a day, a ferry shuttles passengers—and bicycles—across the lake to the village of Rust.