Thaya Valley National Park

The river Thaya has created a unique landscape along the border with the Czech Republic: the Thaya Valley.  In the shadow of the “Iron Curtain” this valley has remained almost untouched over decades.  Today the Thaya Valley National Park in Austria and the Podyjí National Park in the Czech Republic protect this diverse and valuable environment.

The river Thaya has dug a valley of up to 150 m in depth into the crystalline rocks of the Bohemian Massive.  The jewel of the area is the Umlaufberg mountain that covers 60 ha and rises to an altitude of 378 m. The river Thaya flows almost all around this mountain.  At the borderline between the harsh climate of the Waldviertel region and the dry climate of the Weinviertel region influenced by the Pannonian climate, an especially high number of plants accumulates in a relatively small space.  Almost half of Austria’s plant species can be found in this valley.  On the barren and steep slopes of the Thaya the dry grasslands are full of botanical rarities despite the adverse living conditions.
 
Eurasian otter, black stork and green lizard live here, and with a little bit of luck you can see them on your walk.  The river Thaya represents 25 km of the international border between the Czech Republic and Austria.  On the Czech side, remnants of the “Iron Curtain” are witnesses of the turbulent recent history.  And the wild and romantic ruins and castles of the Thaya Valley recall a past that has not always been peaceful.  The Thaya Valley National Park and the Národní Park Podyjí cooperate across the borders to keep this natural gem for future generations.
 
Link: >> www.np-thayatal.at
 

31.10.2005, Lebensministerium Öffentlichkeitsarbeit