The Gäuboden (; also referred to in German as the Dungau) is a region in

Lower Bavaria Lower Bavaria (, ; ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state. It consists of nine districts and 258 municipalities (including three cities). Geography Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two ...

in southern

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

without any clear geographic or cultural boundaries, that covers an area about 15 kilometres wide south of the

River Danube The Danube ( ; see also other names) is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest south into the Black Sea. A large and historically important riv ...

and the

Bavarian Forest image:Zell-bayerischer-wald.jpg, The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest The Bavarian Forest ( or ''Bayerwald'' ; ) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany, that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech Republic, C ...

, beginning opposite

Wörth an der Donau Wörth an der Donau (, ; officially '; Northern Bavarian: ''Wiard'') is a town in the district of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Danube, 22 km east of Regensburg. First mayors before 1945 First me ...

and stretching as far as

Künzing Künzing () is a municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Deggendorf (district), Deggendorf, Bavaria, Germany. References

Deggendorf (district) {{Deggendorf-geo-stub ...

. The largest town in the region is

Straubing Straubing (; Central Bavarian: ''Strauwing'') is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the Districts of Germany, district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Ba ...

, which is often called the centre of the Gäuboden. The Gäuboden is one of the largest

loess A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits. A loess ...

regions in southern Germany.

Literature

* Franz Krojer: ''Aufschluss des Gäubodens.'' Differenz, München 2006. * Erwin Rutte: ''Rhein – Main – Donau. Eine geologische Geschichte.'' Thobecke, Sigmaringen 1987, . * Dieter Vogel (Hrsg.): ''Der Gäuboden. Heimatbuch.'' Kiebitz Buch, Vilsbiburg 1996, . * Bayerisches Landesamt für Umweltschutz. Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ostbayern: ''Lebensraum Donautal. Ergebnisse einer ornitho-ökologischen Untersuchung zwischen Straubing und Vilshofen'', München, Wien, R. Oldenbourg Verlag, 1978 (Schriftenreihe Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, Heft 11), Lower Bavaria Regions of Bavaria Natural regions of the Alpine Foreland {{Bavaria-geo-stub