The Dunkelsteinerwald is a hill country south of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

in the Mostviertel region of

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P� ...

. It is located at the shore of the Danube between

Melk Melk (; older spelling: ) is a city of Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube. Melk has a population of 5,257 (as of 2012). It is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery ...

and Mautern, south of Krems. The principal towns of the region are Bergern im Dunkelsteinerwald, Langegg with a

pilgrimage church A pilgrimage church (german: Wallfahrtskirche) is a church to which pilgrimages are regularly made, or a church along a pilgrimage route, like the Way of St. James, that is visited by pilgrims. Pilgrimage churches are often located by the grave ...

, Wöbling, Karlstetten, Neidling, Hafnerbach, Gansbach, Gerolding, Mauer bei Melk, Dunkelsteinerwald, Haunoldstein and Schönbühel-Aggsbach. Geologically, the Dunkelsteinerwald hills are foothills of the

Waldviertel The (Forest Quarter; Central Bavarian: ) is the northwestern region of the northeast Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is bounded to the south by the Danube, to the southwest by Upper Austria, to the northwest and the north by the Czech Rep ...

, an upland in the northwest of

north of the Danube river and thus belonging to the

Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( cs, Česká vysočina or ''Český masiv'', german: Böhmische Masse or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Ger ...

. The landscape reaches elevations up to 700m above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised ...

and is shaped by

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

and

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Dunkelsteinerwald's climate is rougher clear than that of adjacent

Wachau The Wachau () is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connois ...

. Trade and industry are present only to a small extent. Thus, many inhabitants commute to the district capitals of Krems, St. Pölten and

Notable sights

* Burgruine Hohenegg castle Mauer Kirche 01.jpg, Church Mauer bei Melk Mauer - Kirche, Schnitzaltar.JPG, Carving altar Altardetail 01 carving altar.jpg, part of Carving altar Mauer-maria-schnitzaltar.jpg Kreuzgruppe mauer.jpg Sakramentshaus 001.jpg, Sakramenthäuschen Roemerbruecke-002.jpg, Roman bridge near Lanzing Roemerbruecke-001.jpg, Roman bridge Roemerbruecke-003.jpg, Roman bridge

References

External links

Region Dunkelsteinerwald - official website of ARGE Dunkelsteinerwald

"Dunkelsteinerwald.net" - History and stories of the Dunkelsteinerwald Region (in german language)
{{Authority control Geography of Lower Austria Bohemian Massif