Waldaist

The Waldaist is a river in eastern Upper Austria’s Mühlviertel region, formed where the Schwarze Aist and Weiße Aist join south of Weitersfelden. Its two headwaters rise near the Czech border between the Freiwald and Weinsberger Wald at about 1 020 metres above sea level. The Waldaist flows south for roughly fifty kilometres before meeting the Feldaist at Schwertberg to become the Aist, which reaches the Danube near Mauthausen. The catchment covers about 350 square kilometres, while the parallel Feldaist drains 265 square kilometres to the west. Along its course the river passes Sandl, Weitersfelden, Reichenstein and Schwertberg, offering several recognised swimming spots. The river is recognised for its large population of protected freshwater pearl mussels, the biggest such occurrence in Central Europe. Brown trout, rainbow trout, grayling and bullhead live in its waters, and the valley belongs to the Natura 2000 network. The Schwarze Aist is longer and carries more water because it gathers many tributaries, including the Harbe Aist, before joining the Weiße Aist. The moorland around the Schwarze Aist gives it its dark colour, while the Weiße Aist remains clearer as it crosses fewer bogs. Visitors find quiet woodland paths through the protected valley, with good views of the river’s clear and coloured stretches. The Natura 2000 designation highlights the special mosses, mussels and fish that live here. At Reichenstein and Hohensteg there are safe places to bathe in summer. The landscape shows how the two headwaters differ in colour and flow before they merge.