Eggern is a town in the district of Gmünd, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It lies in the Waldviertel, the forested northwestern quadrant of Lower Austria that borders the Czech Republic, a region characterised by rolling granite hills, dense woodland and a cooler, wetter climate than the Austrian average.
Like most settlements in the district of Gmünd, Eggern is a small, rural community whose economy has historically rested on agriculture and forestry, with the wider district also known for traditional textile and glassmaking industries. The town sits within easy reach of the district capital, also named Gmünd, which serves as the area's main administrative and transport hub.
Eggern is typical of the many small market towns and villages that make up this sparsely populated corner of Austria, where the pace of life is slow and the surrounding landscape of woods, ponds and farmland dominates the setting.