Erzgebirgskreis

Erzgebirgskreis is a district (Kreis) in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is named after the Ore Mountains (German: Erzgebirge), a mountain range in the southern part of the district which forms part of the Germany–Czech Republic border. It borders (from the west and clockwise) the districts of Vogtlandkreis and Zwickau, the urban district Chemnitz, the district Mittelsachsen and the Czech Republic.

History
The district was established by merging the former districts of Annaberg, Aue-Schwarzenberg, Stollberg and Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis as part of the district reform of August 2008.

Geography
The district contains the western part of the Ore Mountains, which also forms the border with the Czech Republic. Several rivers that rise in the Erzgebirge flow through the district, including Zwickauer Mulde and Zschopau.

Sister districts
The Erzgebirgskreis has partnerships with the following districts:
 * 🇩🇪 Nürnberger Land, Bavaria, Germany (1990)
 * 🇩🇪 Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim, Bavaria, Germany (1990)
 * 🇩🇪 Emmendingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (1990)
 * 🇩🇪 Ansbach, Bavaria, Germany (1991)
 * 🇹🇼 Kaohsiung, Taiwan (1993)
 * 🇵🇱 Kalisz Pomorski, Poland (2004)