The main river in the district is the Werra. The district is located in mostly mountainous landscape, the Rhön and the Thuringian Forest. The Rennsteig hiking path crosses the district. The area around Oberhof is a famous winter sports resort.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms shows symbols from the coat of arms of the three precursor districts, which are also symbols for the historic states which make up the territory of the district. The rooster in the topleft derives from the coat of arms of the counts of Henneberg. It stands on three green mounds, a reminder of the hills and mountains of the area. The lion of Hesse is displayed in the topright, as the area was owned by Hesse 1360-1866. The banner in the bottom left comes from the coat of arms of the district Meiningen, and derives from the coat of arms of the city Würzburg. The prince-bishops of Würzburg owned Meiningen in the past. The coat of arms of Saxony in the bottom right is a reminder of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen, which existed from 1680 to 1918.