Hardegg

Welcome to the smallest town in Austria!

Hardegg, the smallest town in Austria, lies in the deep, winding valley of the Austrian-Czech border river Thaya. In the middle of extensive forests, on a high rocky ridge, the mighty knight's castle with its four towers towers above the town.

The beautiful surroundings, fresh air and peaceful location offer visitors opportunities for relaxation that are rarely found elsewhere. Cycling, hiking in the Thayatal National Park or simply enjoying life - the municipality of Hardegg is the ideal starting point for your vacation!

First mentioned in documents as a town in 1290, the village developed as a typical castle settlement in the 11th and 12th centuries, from which the name (Old High German word "hard" = forest, "-egg" = rock, stone) is derived. In a figurative sense, a "hard house with a forest".

The border town was merged with the villages of Riegersburg, Felling, Mallersbach, Heufurth, Pleissing, Waschbach, Niederfladnitz and Merkersdorf in 1975 to form the large municipality of "Stadt Hardegg" and currently covers 93.28 km². When the border was opened in 1990, the Thaya bridge (for pedestrians and cyclists) re-established a connection to the neighboring Czech Republic and thus also to the Czech part of the National Park - Národní Park Podyjí.