The Waldviertel Highlands now lie upon the remains of a prehistoric mountain range. Amidst rolling hills, a modern cultural landscape and the course of the River Thaya, a diverse habitat has emerged for flora and fauna, the protection of which our nature park is dedicated to. Riparian forests, riverside meadows, hedgerows, gorges and mixed hillside forests harbour many a biological gem waiting to be discovered here.
The Thayatal-Dobersberg Nature Park (200 ha), which is open to the public, is situated in the northern Waldviertel region along the meandering River Thaya. Here, the river flows through near-natural floodplain woodland and cultivated landscapes, creating a richly varied mix of woodland, meadows and farmland. The Waldviertel highlands, in which the nature park is situated, were formed by the erosion of the ancient Bohemian-Herzian mountain range.
This part of the Waldviertel offers visitors a wealth of scenic attractions that are always waiting to be discovered. The Thaya landscape of the Waldviertel is characterised by the foothills of the Montane Zone, the Central European Lowland Zone and the Pannonian Zone. This results in a great diversity of flora and fauna.
The Dobersberg recreational forest area within the Dobersberg Landscape Conservation Area was opened in June 1982 as the “Thayatal-Naturpark Dobersberg”. The nature park is managed by the association of the same name.
Our nature park provides a wealth of information about the unique features of the local flora and fauna. The fern gorge in the Thayatal Nature Park Dobersberg, with its mixed forests in the gorge and on the slopes along the River Thaya, is an important habitat for native fern species. Here, you can learn fascinating facts about many of the ferns that grow naturally in the Waldviertel region.
Otters and brook lampreys thrive in and around the river, with its protected alluvial forests of alder, ash and willow. Many butterfly species, such as the small and large marsh fritillary, the purple-edged fritillary, the large copper and the golden-spotted fritillary, use the meadows near the river as their habitat. The structurally rich river and hedgerow landscape of the nature park also provides an important breeding and living habitat for red-backed shrikes and kingfishers.
The forest nature trail in our Dobersberg Nature Park introduces you to the trees, shrubs and animals of the Thaya Valley, which have their natural habitats here. Information boards provide an overview of the forest’s ecology. The easy-to-walk circular trail is 1.4 km long and showcases a beautiful stretch of typical Waldviertel Thaya landscape. The route runs alongside the old arm of the Thaya, which can also be crossed via the Pioniersteig.
