Erzgebirgskreis, Administrative district in Saxony, Germany.
Erzgebirgskreis is a rural district in southwestern Saxony along the border with the Czech Republic, covering large parts of the western and central Ore Mountains. It includes 67 municipalities and is administered from the town of Annaberg-Buchholz.
The district was created on August 1, 2008, as part of the Saxon administrative reform by merging several smaller units. This reorganization brought together areas long connected by mining and craft traditions.
The area takes its name from the Ore Mountains, shaped over centuries by the extraction of silver, tin and other metals. Visitors today encounter mining museums, demonstration pits and traditional wood carving workshops that reflect the deep connection between local life and the mining past.
The municipalities spread across hilly terrain with narrow valleys and forested slopes, where roads often follow winding routes. Visitors should be prepared for changing weather conditions, especially during the winter months.
Vehicle registration codes vary depending on the former administrative unit, resulting in nine different abbreviations used across the district. These codes such as ERZ, ANA and STL recall the earlier districts before the 2008 reform.
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