German Thaya

The Deutsche Thaya is a river in Lower Austria that rises south-west of Schweiggers at 657.5 metres. It flows north-east to Vitis where the Jaudlingbach joins it on the left bank. After passing Schwarzenau the river turns north and winds through Waidhofen, Thaya and Dobersberg before swinging east and south-east past Karlstein and Raabs. Eduard Mörike’s 1856 novella ‘Mozart’s Journey to Prague’ records Mozart crossing the river on 14 September 1787. From Raabs the united Thaya continues eastward into the Czech Republic. The entire drainage basin covers 770 square kilometres. Visitors follow quiet valley paths beside clear stretches of water. Small villages line the banks, each with inns and old farmsteads. The river’s gentle bends reveal meadows and wooded slopes. A cycle route runs alongside for part of the way. In places the water is shallow enough to wade, offering a cool dip on warm days.