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Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich;
Austro-Bavarian Bavarian (german: Bairisch , Bavarian: ''Boarisch'') or alternately Austro-Bavarian, is a West Germanic language, part of the Upper German family, together with Alemannic and East Franconian. Bavarian is spoken by approximately 12 million peo ...
: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine
states of Austria Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states (German: ''Länder''). Since ''Land'' is also the German word for "country", the term ''Bundesländer'' (literally ''federal states'') is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constituti ...
, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the
capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...
of Lower Austria has been Sankt Pölten, replacing
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
which became a separate state in 1921. With a land area of and a population of 1.685 million people, Lower Austria is the second most populous state in Austria (after Vienna). Other large cities are Amstetten, Klosterneuburg, Krems an der Donau, Stockerau and Wiener Neustadt.


Geography

With a land area of situated east of Upper Austria, Lower Austria is the country's largest state. Lower Austria derives its name from its downriver location on the Enns River which flows from the west to the east. Lower Austria has an international border, long, with the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
( South Bohemia and South Moravia Regions) and
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
( Bratislava and
Trnava Region The Trnava Region ( sk, Trnavský kraj, ; hu, Nagyszombati kerület; german: Tyrnauer Landschaftsverband) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It was established in 1996, before which date most of its districts were parts of Brat ...
s). The state has the second longest external border of all Austrian states. It also borders the other Austrian states of Upper Austria,
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered ...
and Burgenland as well as surrounding
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
. Lower Austria is divided into four regions, known as ''Viertel'' (quarters): * '' Weinviertel'' or Tertiary Lowland (below the Manhartsberg) * '' Waldviertel'' or Bohemian Plateau (above the Manhartsberg) * '' Mostviertel'' (above the Vienna Woods) * '' Industrieviertel'' (below the Vienna Woods). These regions have different geographical structures. Whilst the ''Mostviertel'' is dominated by the foothills of the
Limestone Alps The Limestone Alps (german: Kalkalpen) are a mountain ranges system of the Alps in Central Europe. They are of economic importance, including as a watershed source of drinking water. They have many accessible dripstone and ice caves. Geography ...
with mountains up to high, most of the ''Waldviertel'' is a
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
plateau. The hilly ''Weinviertel'' lies to the northeast, descends to the plains of Marchfeld in the east of the state, and is separated by the Danube from the Vienna Basin to the south, which in turn is separated from the Vienna Woods by a line of thermal springs (the ''Thermenlinie'') running north to south.


Mountains

* Schneeberg (Klosterwappen; 2,076 m) *
Rax The Rax is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps on the border of the Austrian federal provinces of Lower Austria and Styria. Its highest peak is the ''Heukuppe'' (2,007 m). The Rax, together with the nearby Schneeberg, are a traditio ...
(Scheibwaldhöhe; 1,943 m; highest summit: Heukuppe; 2,007 m –
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered ...
) * Ötscher (1,893 m) * Dürrenstein (1,878 m) *
Schneealpe The Schneealpe or Schneealm is a limestone massif in the Northern Limestone Alps on the Styrian-Lower Austrian border. Its highest point is the Windberg at 1,903 metres above sea level. Other peaks are the ''Ameisbühel'' (also Amaißbichl, 1 ...
(Ameisbühel; 1,828 m; highest summit: Windberg; 1,903 m –
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered ...
) * Hochkar (1,808 m) * Gamsstein (1,774 m) * Stumpfmauer (1,770 m) * Göller (1,766 m) * Hochwechsel (1,743 m) * Gippel (1,669 m) * Großer Sonnleitstein (1,639 m) * Großer Zellerhut (1,639 m) * Gemeindealpe (1,626 m) * Scheiblingstein (1,622 m) (not to be confused with Scheiblingstein (2,197 m), which is in
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered ...
) * Drahtekogel (1,565 m) * Sonnwendstein (1,523 m) * Obersberg (1,467 m) *
Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was ...
(1,452 m) * Großer Sulzberg (1,400 m) *
Reisalpe The Reisalpe (1,399 m) is the highest mountain in the Gutenstein Alps and lies between Lilienfeld, Hohenberg and Kleinzell in Lower Austria. It is a popular destination, both for hikers in summer and also for ski mountaineering and snowshoe wal ...
(1,399 m) * Gahns (1,380 m) * Tirolerkogel (1,377 m) * Türnitzer Höger (1,372 m) * Unterberg (1,342 m) * Traisenberg (1,230 m) * Dürre Wand (1,222 m) * Hohenstein (1,195 m) * Eisenstein (1,185 m) * Hohe Wand (1,132 m) * Großer Peilstein (1,061 m) * Weinsberg (1,041 m) * Hocheck (1,036 m) * Nebelstein (1,017 m) * Eibl (1,007 m) * Hohe Mandling (967 m) * Jauerling (961 m) * Hoher Lindkogel also named Eisernes Tor (834m) * Anninger (675 m) * Buschberg (491 m) Other mountains in Lower Austria may be found at :Mountains of Lower Austria.


Alpine passes

* Semmering (985 m) * Wechsel (980 m) The state border with Styria runs over both passes.


Rivers

Almost all of Lower Austria is drained by the Danube. The only river that flows into the North Sea (via the Moldau and the
Elbe The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
) is the Lainsitz in northern ''Waldviertel'', the Erlauf river. The most important rivers north of the Danube (on its left bank) are the Ysper, Kamp, Krems, Lainsitz, March and
Thaya The Thaya ( cs, Dyje ) is a river in Central Europe, the longest tributary to the river Morava. Its drainage basin is . It is ( with its longest source river German Thaya) long and meanders from west to east in the border area between Lower ...
. South of the Danube (on its right bank) are the Enns, Ybbs, Erlauf, Melk, Pielach, Traisen, Schwechat, Fischa, Schwarza, Triesting, Pitten and the Leitha.


Lakes

*
Ottenstein Reservoir Ottenstein is a municipality in the district of Holzminden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. See also * Ottenstein Plateau The Ottenstein Plateau (german: Ottensteiner Hochebene or ''Ottensteiner Hochfläche'') is part of the Lower Saxon Weser Upl ...
(4.3 km) * Lunzer See (0.69 km) * Erlaufsee (0.56 km, of which about half lies in Lower Austria) * Erlauf Reservoir *
Wienerwaldsee The Wienerwaldsee (English:''Vienna Forest Lake'') is a shallow reservoir, located 20 kilometres west of Vienna, Austria. It is located just north of Austria's main motorway, the West Autobahn, between Tullnerbach and Neu-Purkersdorf. It was cre ...
(0.32 km)


Caves

Lower Austria is rich in natural
cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
s; in all 4,082 have been recorded. Most of the caves have formed in limestone and dolomite rocks and are therefore called
karst cave Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant r ...
s. Cavities also form in the marble of the Central Alps and the Bohemian Massif. Among the largest caves in Lower Austria are: * Ötscherhöhlensystem ( Ötscher): 27,003 m long; union of the
Taubenloch Taubenloch (French: Gorges du Taubenloch) is a gorge in the Canton of Bern, above Biel/Bienne in Switzerland. It crosses the first Jura Mountain chain, as considered from the Swiss Plateau. Location The gorge covers a length of around 2 kilometr ...
and Geldloch * Pfannloch ( Ötscher): 5,287 m long * Lechnerweidhöhle ( Dürrenstein): 5,252 m long * Trockenes Loch ( Schwarzenbach an der Pielach): 4,510 m long * Hermannshöhle (
Kirchberg am Wechsel Kirchberg am Wechsel is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, locat ...
): 4,430 m long * Eisensteinhöhle ( Bad Fischau): 2,341 m long The last two are open as show caves, along with the Allander stalactite cave, the Unicorn Cave, the Hochkarschacht, the Nixhöhle and the Ötschertropfsteinhöhle.


Land use


History

The history of Lower Austria is very similar to the history of Austria. Many castles are located in Lower Austria.
Klosterneuburg Abbey Klosterneuburg Abbey or Monastery (german: Stift Klosterneuburg) is a twelfth-century Augustinian monastery of the Roman Catholic Church located in the town of Klosterneuburg in Lower Austria. Overlooking the Danube, just north of the Vienna ci ...
, located here, is one of the oldest abbeys in Austria. Before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Lower Austria had the largest number of
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
in the country. The names ''Lower Austria'' and '' Upper Austria'' are derived from the earlier names ''Austria below the Enns'' and ''Austria above the Enns'', references to the
river Enns The Enns (, ) is a southern tributary of the river Danube, joining northward at Enns, Austria. The Enns spans , in a flat-J-shape. It flows from its source near the village Flachau, generally eastward through Radstadt, Schladming, and Liezen, then ...
. Going down from its source on the northern edge of the Central Eastern Alps, the river crosses Upper Austria, then on its lower reaches forms the boundary between Upper Austria and Lower Austria. In the mid-13th century, it became known as the Principality below the Enns River (').


Economy

The
gross domestic product Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is of ...
(GDP) of the state was € 61.0 billion in 2018, accounting for 15.8% of Austria's economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was € 32,300, or 107% of the EU27 average in the same year. Lower Austria is the state with the second-lowest GDP per capita in Austria.


Demographics


Administrative divisions

Lower Austria is divided into four regions: '' Waldviertel'', '' Mostviertel'', '' Industrieviertel'', and '' Weinviertel''. The Wachau valley, situated between Melk and Krems in the Mostviertel region, is famous for its landscape, culture, and
wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...
. Administratively, the state is divided into 20 districts ('' Bezirke''), and four independent towns ('' Statutarstädte''). In total, there are 573 municipalities within Lower Austria.


Independent towns

* Krems an der Donau * Sankt Pölten * Waidhofen an der Ybbs * Wiener Neustadt


Districts

* Amstetten *
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden i ...
* Bruck an der Leitha *
Gänserndorf Gänserndorf () is a town on the Marchfeld, Lower Austria, Austria and the capital of Bezirk Gänserndorf. It is about 20 km northeast of Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , p ...
* Gmünd * Hollabrunn * Horn * Korneuburg * Krems-Land *
Lilienfeld Lilienfeld () is a city in Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Austria, south of St. Pölten, noted as the site of Lilienfeld Abbey. It is also the site of a regional hospital Landesklinikum Voralpen Lilienfeld. The city is located in the valley ...
* Melk * Mistelbach *
Mödling Mödling () is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna. Mödling lies in Lower Austria's industrial zone (Industrieviertel). The Mödlingbach, a brook which rises in the Vienna Woods ...
* Neunkirchen * Sankt Pölten-Land *
Scheibbs Scheibbs () is a town in Austria in the Scheibbs district of Lower Austria. In 1886, it became the first town in Austria to have street lighting powered by electricity. Population Mayors *1950-1965: Anton Herok *1965-1983: Alois Derfler *1983- ...
* Tulln an der Donau * Waidhofen an der Thaya * Wiener Neustadt-Land * Zwettl


References


External links


Country of Lower Austria - official webpageLower Austria - official visitor information webpage

PhotoGlobe
- georeferenced photos of Lower Austria {{coord, 48, 20, N, 15, 45, E, region:AT-3_type:adm1st, display=title NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union States of Austria Wine regions of Austria