Number of inhabitants: approx. 348,000
Surface area: 1,827.9 km²

The Erzgebirgskreis is the most populous district in Saxony. The district town of the Erzgebirgskreis is Annaberg-Buchholz. Oberwiesenthal am Fichtelberg in the Erzgebirge is the highest town in Germany. The Fichtelberg is the main attraction for thousands of winter sports enthusiasts during the cold months. The district gained economic importance through centuries of mining. A special characteristic of the region is the "Erzgebirgische wood art", which is based on traditional handicraft techniques and helped the Erzgebirge to worldwide fame. Particularly worth seeing during the Christmas season are the Seiffen toy village and the numerous Christmas markets with their mountain parades.