Aschaffenburg District

Aschaffenburg is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Darmstadt-Dieburg, Offenbach, Main-Kinzig (all in the state of Hesse), the districts Main-Spessart and Miltenberg, and the town of Aschaffenburg.

History
Remains of Roman settlements are found on the river Main. There was a Roman military camp in what is today the municipality of Stockstadt am Main. After the Roman retreat the region became subject to Alemanni and Franks before eventually being a part of the electorate of Mainz. While the banks of the Main were populated all these centuries, the hills of the Spessart Mountains were virtually unsettled until the 13th century.

The districts of Aschaffenburg and Alzenau were established in 1862, half a century after the region was annexed by the state of Bavaria. These districts were merged in 1972 in order to form the present district.

Geography
The district is located in the extreme northwest of Bavaria and bounded by Hesse on two sides. The River Main forms the western border, though southwest of the town of Aschaffenburg there are also parts on the western river banks incorporated in the district. The south and east of the district is occupied by the Spessart Mountains.

The town of Aschaffenburg is not included in the district, but nonetheless its administrative seat.