Editing Lower Austria (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Wachau (3).JPG|thumb|Wachau Valley near [[Spitz, Austria]]]]
With a land area of {{convert|19186|km2|abbr=on}} situated east of [[Upper Austria]], Lower Austria is the country's largest state. Lower Austria derives its name from its downriver location on the river [[Enns (river)|Enns]], which flows from the west to the east. Lower Austria has an international border, {{convert|414|km|abbr=on}} long, with the [[Czech Republic]] ([[South Bohemian Region|South Bohemia]] and [[South Moravian Region|South Moravia]]) and [[Slovakia]] ([[Bratislava Region|Bratislava]] and [[Trnava Region]]s). The state has the second-longest external border of all Austrian states. It also borders the other Austrian states of [[Upper Austria]], [[Styria]] and [[Burgenland]] as well as surrounding [[Vienna]].

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]] with mountains up to {{Höhe|2000|AT|link=true}} (6,500&nbsp;ft) high, most of the ''Waldviertel'' is a [[granite]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lower-austria.info/|title=Visitor-Information|website=www.lower-austria.info|access-date=2020-01-14}}</ref>

=== Mountains ===
[[File:Puchberg - Schneeberg.JPG|thumb|The [[Schneeberg (Lower Austria)|Schneeberg]], one of Vienna's three ''[[Hausberg]]e'']]
* [[Schneeberg (Alps)|Schneeberg]] (Klosterwappen; 2,076&nbsp;m)
* [[Rax]] (Scheibwaldhöhe; 1,943 m; highest summit: Heukuppe; 2,007&nbsp;m – [[Styria]])
* [[Ötscher]] (1,893 m)
* [[Dürrenstein (Austria)|Dürrenstein]] (1,878 m)
* [[Schneealpe]] (Ameisbühel; 1,828&nbsp;m; highest summit: Windberg; 1,903&nbsp;m – [[Styria]])
* [[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]])
* Drahtekogel (1,565 m)
* [[Sonnwendstein]] (1,523 m)
* Obersberg (1,467 m)
* [[Königsberg (Göstlingen Alps)|Königsberg]] (1,452 m)
* [[Großer Sulzberg]] (1,400 m)
* [[Reisalpe]] (1,399 m)
* [[Gahns]] (1,380 m)
* [[Tirolerkogel]] (1,377 m)
* [[Türnitzer Höger]] (1,372 m)
* [[Unterberg (Lower Austria)|Unterberg]] (1,342 m)
* [[Traisenberg]] (1,230 m)
* [[Dürre Wand]] (1,222 m)
* Hohenstein (1,195 m)
* [[Eisenstein (mountain)|Eisenstein]] (1,185 m)
* [[Hohe Wand (mountain)|Hohe Wand]] (1,132 m)
* [[Großer Peilstein]] (1,061 m)
* [[Weinsberg (mountain)|Weinsberg]] (1,041 m)
* [[Hocheck (Lower Austria)|Hocheck]] (1,036 m)
* [[Nebelstein]] (1,017 m)
* [[Eibl (Berg)|Eibl]] (1,007 m)
* [[Hohe Mandling]] (967 m)
* [[Jauerling]] (961 m)
* [[Hoher Lindkogel]] also named Eisernes Tor (834m) 
* [[Anninger]] (675 m)
* [[Buschberg]] (491 m)<!-- but only because it has such a dominance-->

Other mountains in Lower Austria may be found at [[:Category:Mountains of Lower Austria]].

=== Alpine passes ===
* [[Semmering Pass|Semmering]] (985 m)
* [[Wechsel Pass|Wechsel]] (980 m)

The state border with Styria runs over both passes.

=== Rivers ===
[[File:Ruine Aggstein 03.JPG|thumb|right|The ruins of [[Aggstein Castle]] above the [[Danube]] in the [[Wachau|Wachau valley]]]]
[[File:Niederösterreich Rosenburg 2010 01.JPG|thumb|[[Kamp (river)|Kamp]] river below the [[Rosenburg]] ]]
[[File:Morava river between Austria and Slovakia during sunset.jpg|thumb|[[March River (Czech Republic and Austria)|March]] river with [[riparian forest]]]]

Almost all of Lower Austria is drained by the [[Danube]]. The only river that flows into the North Sea (via the [[Moldau (river)|Moldau]] and the [[Elbe]]) is the [[Lainsitz]] in northern ''Waldviertel''.

The most important rivers north of the Danube (on its left bank) are the [[Ysper]], [[Kamp (river)|Kamp]], [[Krems (Lower Austria)|Krems]], [[Lainsitz]], [[March (river)|March]] and [[Thaya]]. South of the Danube (on its right bank) are the [[Enns (river)|Enns]], [[Ybbs]], [[Erlauf (river)|Erlauf]], [[Melk (river)|Melk]], [[Pielach]], [[Traisen (river)|Traisen]], [[Schwechat (river)|Schwechat]], [[Fischa]], [[Schwarza (Leitha)|Schwarza]], [[Triesting]], [[Pitten (river)|Pitten]] and the [[Leitha]].

=== Lakes ===
* [[Ottenstein Reservoir]] (4.3&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})
* [[Lunzer See]] (0.69&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})
* [[Erlaufsee]] (0.56&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}, of which about half lies in Lower Austria)
* [[Erlauf Reservoir]]
* [[Wienerwaldsee]] (0.32&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})

=== Caves ===
{{further|List of caves in Austria }}
Lower Austria is rich in natural [[cave]]s; in all 4,082 have been recorded. Most of the caves have formed in limestone and dolomite rocks and are therefore called [[Solutional cave|karst cave]]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&nbsp;m long; union of the [[Taubenloch]] and [[Geldloch (Ötscher)|Geldloch]]
* [[Pfannloch]] ([[Ötscher]]): 5,287&nbsp;m long
* [[Lechnerweidhöhle]] ([[Dürrenstein (Österreich)|Dürrenstein]]): 5,252&nbsp;m long
* [[Trockenes Loch]] ([[Schwarzenbach an der Pielach]]): 4,510&nbsp;m long
* [[Hermannshöhle (Niederösterreich)|Hermannshöhle]] ([[Kirchberg am Wechsel]]): 4,430&nbsp;m long
* [[Eisensteinhöhle]] ([[Bad Fischau]]): 2,341&nbsp;m long
The last two are open as [[show cave]]s, along with the Allander stalactite cave, the [[Unicorn Cave (Austria)|Unicorn Cave]], the [[Hochkarschacht]], the [[Nixhöhle]] and the [[Ötschertropfsteinhöhle]].

=== Land use ===
[[File:Abstetten - Ortsansicht.JPG|thumb|Agricultural land in Lower Austria]]
{| class="wikitable zebra"
|- class="hintergrundfarbe5"
! Type of land use !! Area in km{{sup|2}} !! Percent of<br />total area
|-
|Farmland ||align="right"| 7,000 ||align="right"| 42 
|-
|Woods ||align="right"|6,711 ||align="right"| 40
|-
|Grassland ||align="right"| 1,750 ||align="right"| 11
|-
|Alpine pastures ||align="right"| 300 ||align="right"|1.7
|-
|Vineyards ||align="right"|315 ||align="right"|1.9
|}