Main-Kinzig-Kreis, Rural district in Hesse, Germany
Main-Kinzig-Kreis is a rural district in Hesse that stretches east of Frankfurt to the wooded highlands of central Hesse. The area includes 30 municipalities with the district seat in Gelnhausen, ranging from flat river valleys to gentle hills covered in mixed and deciduous forests.
The district was formed in 1974 by merging the former districts of Hanau, Gelnhausen and Schlüchtern during the Hesse territorial reform. This reorganization aimed to simplify administration and combine smaller units into a workable district structure.
The district takes its name from the Main and Kinzig rivers, which meet at Hanau and shape the character of the region. Along the riverbanks, villages and small towns have grown over centuries, now linked by cycling and walking paths that follow the water.
The district seat Gelnhausen sits centrally and makes a good starting point for exploring the region, while the outer areas are quieter and more wooded. Visitors interested in the rural parts should note that villages are often connected by smaller roads rather than highways.
Between 2007 and 2013, the geographic center of the European Union rested on a wheat field near Gelnhausen. After Croatia joined the EU, the point shifted eastward, but the memory of this particular location remains part of local history.
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