Welcome to the Thaya country

Where the river Thaya follows its course in a deeply cut in valley through the Gneiss highlands of the northern Waldviertel, the municipality Karlstein is situated at an altitude of about 440 m, towered by the medieval castle. The rocky scarps facing down to the river and the banks reaching 600 m are covered with woods. In between you will find fields, meadows and farmer´s villages.

To mark the border, the castle Karlstein has been built on a rock high above the Thaya - late gothic castle chapel - by Adam Puchheim (1576 - 1609) a centre of protestantism - it could successfully defense itself against the Swedish people in the 30 year war and has never been taken.

"Horologen" (clock) country

For more than 250 years, the clockmaker handicraft has its home here. Karlsteiner clocks have been transported to all parts of the ancient Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Out of the former clock fabrics, the fine mechanical industry of today evolved, whose operations mainly export their products.