Saale-Orla is a Kreis (district) in the east of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the districts Saale-Holzland, Greiz, the Vogtlandkreis in Saxony, the Bavarian districts Hof and Kronach, and the district Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.
History The district was created in 1994 by merging the previous districts Lobenstein, Pößneck and Schleiz.
Geography The main rivers in the district are the Saale and the Orla, which also contributed to the name of the district. The highest elevation with 732.9 m above sea level is the Sieglitzberg (near Lobenstein), the lowest with 180 m is near Schimmersburg Langenorla. The district is mountainous, covering the Thüringer Schiefergebirge. The dams of the Saale create the biggest system of artificial lakes in Germany.
Coat of arms The two lions in the top of the coat of arms represent the historic states which covered the area in the past. In the left is the lion with crown of the Reuß family, while the lion to the right is the symbol of the margravate of Meißen. The two wavy lines at the bottom symbolize the two rivers of the district, Saale and Orla.
Towns and municipalities
Verwaltungsgemeinschaft-free townsand municipalitiesBad Lobenstein Gefell Hirschberg Neustadt an der Orla Pößneck Saalburg-Ebersdorf Schleiz Tanna WurzbachKospoda Remptendorf Rosenthal am Rennsteig Verwaltungsgemeinschaften1. Oppurg Bodelwitz Döbritz Gertewitz Grobengereuth Langenorla Lausnitz Nimritz Oberoppurg Oppurg1 Quaschwitz Solkwitz Weira Wernburg2. Ranis-Ziegenrück Eßbach Gössitz Keila Krölpa Moxa Paska Peuschen Ranis1, 2 Schmorda Schöndorf Seisla Wilhelmsdorf Ziegenrück23. Seenplatte Dittersdorf Görkwitz Göschitz Kirschkau Löhma Moßbach Neundorf bei Schleiz Oettersdorf1 Plothen Pörmitz Tegau Volkmannsdorf4. Triptis Dreitzsch Geroda Lemnitz Miesitz Mittelpöllnitz Rosendorf Schmieritz Tömmelsdorf Triptis1, 21seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft;2town
References
External links Official website (German) Touristic website (German, English)