Aschaffenburg (German pronunciation: [aˈʃafənbʊɐ̯k]) is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.
Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz for more than 800 years. The city is located at the westernmost border of Lower Franconia and separated from the central and eastern part of the administrative district by the Spessart hills, whereas it opens towards the Rhine-Main plain in the west and north-west. Therefore, the inhabitants speak neither Bavarian nor East Franconian but rather a local version of Rhine Franconian.
The town is located on both sides of the River Main in the southwest part of Germany, 41 kilometers (25 mi) southeast of Frankfurt am Main. The second river is the small Aschaff which flows into the River Main in the western part of the city. The region is called Bayerischer Untermain or Bavarian Lower Main.
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.
Remains of Roman settlements were 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 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.
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 Mittelgebirge Spessart.