To the south and east of the castle, once marshy meadows and woods stretched out, and today there is the Academy Park.
Frederick III acquired the land immediately adjacent to the castle, had it partially drained and built a zoo in which herons, pheasants and fallow deer were kept. He also had the stonewall - the "Zeiselmauer" (i.e. the long wall) - which encloses the zoo and is almost 6 kilometres long. In the thirties of the 18th century, Emperor Charles VI, his wife and his daughter Maria Theresa often stayed in the castle. Charles indulged in hunting in this zoo. After the 1751 dedication of the castle to the military academy, the zoo was used for military exercises of the cadets. Local director Count Kinsky (1779-1805) transformed the zoo into a large park. It was Count Kinsky who also opened the park to the public.
Today the Academy Park is the most important recreational area in the city of Wiener Neustadt. The extensive area of 186 hectares offers the opportunity for hours of walking.
The wide paths are ideal for relaxing, taking a deep breath and enjoying the peace and quiet. But also sports activities like jogging, cycling or horseback riding are possible.
Today the Academy Park is the most important recreational area in the city of Wiener Neustadt. The extensive area of 186 hectares offers the opportunity for hours of walking.
The academy park has large contiguous old wood stocks. Occasionally there are specimens in the tree population, which are over 100 years old. The cave-rich old wood stands offer shelter and breeding possibilities to a large number of birds. In addition, deer, hares and pheasants find an intact habitat in the academy park.
The "Kehrbach" runs right through the academy park. This is a 16 km long artificial creek, which originally served to fill the moat.
The "Mühlbach" also runs through the Academy Park. This creek begins in Katzelsdorf as the outflow of the Leitha-river and flows into the Kehrbach-creek in the Academy Park.
The "Kehrbach" runs right through the academy park. This is a 16 km long artificial creek, which originally served to fill the moat.
In the middle of the academy park lies the "Pionierteich" (engineer pond). The inflow is via a brook that branches off from the Mühlbach-creek. It got its name from its former purpose: the engineer training. Today the "Pionierteich" is stocked with fish and is a breeding ground for wild ducks and other water birds.
Another pond is located in the immediate vicinity of Maria-Theresia-Square: The "Knollteich" (Knoll pond). This was created in 1855 by order of the then Academy Commander Colonel Knoll, after the wood flooding on the Kehrbach-creek was abandoned and the storage yard for the wood was no longer necessary.