The (; ; Central Bavarian: ; ) is the northwestern region of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is bounded to the south by the river Danube, to the southwest by Upper Austria, to the northwest and to the north by the Czech Republic and to the east by the Manhartsberg (), which is the survey point dividing the from the region. Geologically it is part of the Bohemian Massif. In the south are the Wachau and Kamptal wine regions.
The following administrative districts of Lower Austria are considered to be part of the
The northern () had been part of the Bohemian region of glasshouses since the 14th century. In historical times, sands were good raw materials for forest glass production, especially for colored glass.