Rohrau

Amazingly, this simple town was the birthplace of two musical geniuses, Franz Josef Haydn (1732–1809) and Michael Haydn (1737–1806). Just before you enter the town, watch on the left side of the road for the small whitewashed thatched cottage where Haydn (one of a family of 12 children) was born. Haydn’s birthplace is now a small museum with just a few rooms. Of special interest are the many pictures of his fellow musicians. Just beyond Haydn’s birthplace, you will see on the right side of the road the large Harrach Palace dramatically surrounded by superb gardens. This estate ties in with Haydn’s life as his mother was a cook for the wealthy Harrach family who were, and still are, the owners of this castle. But far more than the fact that Haydn’s mother worked here, the castle is worth a stop because now it also houses one of the finest private art collections in Austria, the Harrach Gallery.