The Hochtaunuskreis is a Kreis (district

District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...

) in the middle of Hesse

Hesse

Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis

Wetteraukreis

The Wetteraukreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany. Neighbouring districts are Landkreis Gießen, Vogelsbergkreis, Main-Kinzig-Kreis, district-free Stadt Frankfurt, Hochtaunuskreis, Lahn-Dill-Kreis.-History:...

, district-free Frankfurt

Frankfurt

Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...

, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg

Limburg-Weilburg

Limburg-Weilburg is a Kreis in the west of Hesse, Germany. Neighboring districts are Lahn-Dill, Hochtaunuskreis, Rheingau-Taunus, Rhein-Lahn, Westerwaldkreis.-History:...

.
The Hochtaunuskreis and the Landkreis Starnberg regularly compete for the title of the wealthiest district in Germany.

History

The district was created in 1972 when the previous districts Obertaunus and Usingen were merged.

Geography

Geographically it covers the Taunus

Taunus

The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...

 mountains. The highest elevation of the Taunus, the 881 meter high Großer Feldberg

Großer Feldberg

The Großer Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Taunus mountains. It is situated in the Hochtaunuskreis district in Hessen, Germany....

, is in the district. Lowest elevation of the district with 130m is the Ober Erlenbach. The wealthy towns in the district's densely populated southern part belong to the Frankfurt urban area.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms is a combination of the arms of the Obertaunus district in the left half and the Usingen district in the right half. It shows a lion, the left half in the red-white striped style of the Hesse Hesse Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...  lion, the right side the golden color lion of Nassau. Additionally in the left four bells which were taken from the counts of Kronberg, and in the right four trefoils from the coat of arms of the city of Usingen Usingen Usingen is a small town in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hessen, Germany. Until 1972, this residential and school town was the seat of the former district of Usingen.-Location:... .

Towns and municipalities

Towns

Municipalities

Bad Homburg vor der Höhe Bad Homburg Bad Homburg vor der Höhe is the district town of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hesse, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt am Main and Oberursel... Friedrichsdorf Friedrichsdorf Friedrichsdorf is a town of the Hochtaunuskreis, some north of Frankfurt am Main in Hesse, Germany.-Location: Friedrichsdorf is located in the Taunus area, ranking third among the Hochtaunuskreis boroughs after Bad Homburg vor der Höhe and Oberursel... Königstein im Taunus Königstein im Taunus Königstein im Taunus is a climatic spa and lies on the thickly wooded slopes of the Taunus in Hesse, Germany. Owing to its advantageous location for both scenery and transport on the edge of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, Königstein is a favourite residential town... Kronberg im Taunus Kronberg im Taunus Kronberg im Taunus is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis district, Hesse, Germany. Before 1866, it was in the Duchy of Nassau; in that year the whole Duchy was absorbed into Prussia. Kronberg lies at the foot of the Taunus, flanked in the north and southwest by forests... Neu-Anspach Neu-Anspach -Geography:-Neighbouring communities:Neu-Anspach borders in the north on the town of Usingen, in the east on the community of Wehrheim, in the south on the town of Bad Homburg and in the west on the community of Schmitten.-Transport:... Oberursel (Taunus) Steinbach (Taunus) Steinbach (Taunus) Steinbach is a town in the Hochtaunuskreis that borders in the east on Frankfurt am Main. Other neighbouring towns are Oberursel, Kronberg im Taunus and Eschborn. It is in the German state of Hesse.-Location:... Usingen Usingen Usingen is a small town in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hessen, Germany. Until 1972, this residential and school town was the seat of the former district of Usingen.-Location:...

Glashütten Glashütten Glashütten is a small municipality in the Hochtaunuskreis. This community in the Taunus, which is made up of the three formerly independent communities of Glashütten, Schloßborn and Oberems, lies in the Hochtaunus Nature Park, not far from Königstein im Taunus, Germany.-Neighbouring... Grävenwiesbach Grävenwiesbach Grävenwiesbach is a municipality in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hesse, Germany.- Location :Grävenwiesbach lies between 300 and 600 m above sea level north of the Taunus Ridge... Schmitten Schmitten, Germany Schmitten is a climatic spa and municipality in the Hochtaunuskreis in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:Schmitten is the highest community in the Taunus some 24 km north of Frankfurt am Main within whose limits is the Großer Feldberg .... Wehrheim Wehrheim Wehrheim is a municipality in Hesse, Germany some 30 km north of Frankfurt am Main.The town Wehrheim carries the nickname "Apfeldorf Wehrheim" .- Location :... Weilrod Weilrod Weilrod is a municipality made up of several villages in the northwest Hochtaunuskreis lying in the Weil Valley in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Weilrod lies north of the crest of the Taunus, from 210 to 600 m above sea level...

External links

• Official website (German)