Erlauf

The Erlauf is a river in Lower Austria that flows into the Danube near Pöchlarn. It rises beneath the Gemeindealpe and is also called the Great Erlauf in its upper reaches. The river passes through the Tormäuer nature park, skirts the Ötscher massif, and receives the Treffling stream and its waterfall before reaching towns such as Scheibbs and Wieselburg.

Almost forty per cent of the Erlauf’s course remains close to its natural state despite several hydro-electric plants. In 1985 the long-lost brook lamprey was found again in the Great Erlauf. Near Purgstall the river has cut a deep gorge called the Erlaufschlucht, or Prater, which has been a protected natural monument since 1972.

Visitors can walk the Erlaufschlucht trail to see the steep walls and rushing water. The river is harnessed at power stations such as Wienerbruck, the oldest in the province, and Erlaufboden downstream. The Mariazellerbahn railway draws its current from one of these plants. Cycle paths follow the valley floor between Scheibbs and Wieselburg, linking the river’s industrial heritage with its wild stretches.