Streckhof Frauenkirchen: A Family-Friendly Stay in Burgenland, Austria
If you find yourself (with your family in tow) in the picturesque province of Burgenland, Austria, Streckhof Frauenkirchen is exactly the place where you’ll want to stay for a little while and make it your home away from home.
Hands down, the hardest part about traveling with a family is finding a place to stay. So when you find a gem, you want to shout it to the world…which is exactly what I’m doing.
Save now, travel later:
My family and I were gifted a one-night stay at Streckhof Frauenkirchen in exchange for this post. The thoughts and opinions below are my own.
Where is Frauenkirchen, Austria, Exactly?
Before we dive into the actual place, you probably want to know where in the world it’s located, right?
This family-friendly AirBnB is in Frauenkirchen, Austria, which is in a pretty fantastic area, and that’s why I think it’d be a great “hub” for a weekend or a week-long trip to the area.
It’s located on the border of Austria and Hungary (10-20 minutes depending on which way you go), but it’s also less than an hour away from Vienna—reachable via a direct train out of Frauenkirchen, and only 40 minutes from Bratislava, Slovakia. It’s also great for a trip to/from Prague or Budapest, too.
Getting to Streckhof Frauenkirchen is best by car, but you can get there via train—it’s about a 15-minute walk from the station.
All About the Place
Streckhof Frauenkirchen is a one-level, beautiful ranch-style home in the center of Frauenkirchen, Austria, that is absolutely perfect for families, especially Americans living/traveling abroad because you’ll see familiar “Americanized” amenities you don’t often find in Europe.
Check out all that it has:
- three bedrooms (including the bunk bed room)
- two bathrooms (one shower; one bathtub)
- a garden with playground equipment for kids (jungle gym, trampoline, a climbing tree, etc.)
- a washer and a dryer
- a fully stocked kitchen with an extra large refrigerator (including an ice machine that will make every American living overseas swoon)
- a built-in fireplace
- a Weber grill and outdoor seating/dining area
- books and toys for kids
- baby gear upon request
- and every extra amenity you can think of
The whole house sleeps up to 8 people, so bring the whole family along (unfortunately, no pets allowed, so find a pet sitter for your furry friends). Here’s a breakdown of the room situation:
One bedroom has two bunk beds (four beds) and it doubles as a playroom for kids, complete with tons of toys! Y’all, we literally had to drag our kids out of there; they loved it.
Another bedroom has a double bed (where mom and dad can cuddle without fear of falling through the middle like most European beds), and the third bedroom has two twin beds (which can be smushed together into a classic European-style “double” bed.
Each bathroom has a toilet and the aforementioned shower/bathtub.
But one extra fantastic feature is that one of the bathroom’s sinks is lowered so it’s especially geared towards kids—a feature I noticed almost immediately and really appreciated, as did my two tiny humans.
Why We Loved Streckhof Frauenkirchen So Much
Here’s the thing…when you travel often in Europe as a big American family (there are five of us), you start realizing that most places aren’t always as they seem.
This is what set Streckhof Frauenkirchen apart for us: the owners. They’re an American and Austrian couple with three kids themselves, and they very clearly want you to enjoy your time and your stay.
They have the “Superhost” status on AirBnB, and for good reason; they truly go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable.
They sent us information on the area before our stay, and it was all printed (in different languages including English) when we arrived.
Not only that, but we also received some videos on how things work—like where the fire extinguisher is and how to open the windows and doors, which can be tricky if you’re new to European quirks.
While we didn’t use the kitchen to make any meals, the kitchen was fully stocked, and I appreciated the availability of kids’ plates and cups. Nothing is worse than being outside of our home and having the fear of a kid breaking a cereal bowl!
Americans staying at Streckhof will appreciate the gigantic fridge and ice maker built-in! The level of giddiness that I had when I saw that was a little ridiculous—the kids even got excited about it!
Speaking of the kids, their room was like a dream come true. There were so many toys and books for them to read. Both of my girls found a few new titles that they had me look up when we got home, and they entertained themselves in there almost the entire time we stayed there.
While they were playing in their room, my husband and I enjoyed time in the living room with the fireplace. It was delightful.
I will say that the one and only gripe I had with Streckhof Frauenkirchen is that we didn’t stay longer. This was due to our own scheduling and limited time during our road trip, but if you stay here I highly encourage at least a two-night stay, because one just isn’t enough.
In fact, there is a two-night minimum stay (and more over the holidays) so that you can fully appreciate the area and the home.
What is Streckhof & What’s its Story?
Streckhof translates to “stretch yard” in English, and Frauenkirchen literally means “women churches.” And once you see that the AirBnB is a stretched-out, ranch-style home (meaning it’s long and one-story) and that the house is in front of the large Basilica of the Nativity of Mary, the name makes a little more sense, right?
My favorite feature is that the enclosed garden is perfect for kids.
Even more, Streckhof Frauenkirchen is more than 150 years old but was fully renovated in 2016. The new owners, an American/Austrian family of five put extreme thought into the home away from home.
Fun Fact: Speaking of America, did you know that out of all the Austrian provinces, Burgenland has had the largest group of emigrants to America in the past 150 years? In fact, every governor of the province makes a special trip to the Austrian “Burgenland” community in Chicago during their time in office. Neat, right?
What is there to do in Burgenland, Austria?
We visited the area in the fall (October, to be specific), but it’d be fantastic in the summer or spring, too. There are wineries (check out the world-renowned Umathum winery about a mile away), bike trails, Austria’s largest lake where you can kite surf, sail, and SUP, and there are lavender fields surrounding Frauenkirchen, too.
Not to mention St. Martin’s Thermal Bath, which we did go to. St. Martin’s has a kid’s water area that my kids loved and a nature club, plus four indoor pools and seven outdoor pools including a “summer island” from May to September.
There’s also Podo Beach with a multi-million Euro playground with some of the coolest play equipment like a climbing area, sand pit, water playground, and more.
The Food around Streckhof Frauenkirchen
Again, I wish we were there longer to take advantage of the several restaurants in the area, but we just didn’t have time.
However, there are multiple family-friendly places to eat as well as grocery stores in the area. And luckily, you’ll get a list of all the best places to go to as well as tips if you’re taking kids.
We did go to a local bakery to pick up things for breakfast, and everything we bought was delicious.
How to Book Your Stay
Booking your stay at Burgenland’s Streckhof Frauenkirchen is simple when you book through AirBnB. And when you go, tell them we sent you and that we say, “Hallo!”
So are you ready to plan your trip to Streckhof Frauenkirchen yet? Let me know if you make your way over there!
