Location and constituent communities
Eschau is a market town in the Miltenberg district in Bavaria, in the Bavarian Lower Main region and in the administrative district of Lower Franconia. The municipality includes Eschau, Hobbach, Sommerau and Wildensee, as well as the hamlets of Oberaulenbach, Unteraulenbach and Wildenstein.
The municipality lies in the hilly landscape of the Vorspessart and is shaped by the valley floor of the Elsava. Elevations in Eschau and Sommerau are around 171 metres, in Hobbach 184 metres and in Wildensee 370 metres above sea level.
Natural region and climate
Eschau belongs to the Sandstone-Spessart natural region. The geology is characterised by Buntsandstein formations. Shallow to medium-deep, loamy to clayey weathering layers containing coarse- to fine-grained sand and locally mica-containing material contribute to soil formation.
The climate is described as temperate. A municipal planning assessment gives a mean annual temperature of 10.4 °C and an average annual precipitation of 700.9 millimetres, and classifies the area as warm and moderately dry. Another assessment describes the further Spessart-Main area as moderately oceanic, with around 800 millimetres of annual precipitation, cool summers and moderately cold winters.
History and development
Eschau was first mentioned around the year 1000 under the name Esche. In 1285, the town was granted market rights during the rule of the Counts of Rieneck. After the Napoleonic period, Eschau came to Bavaria in 1816.
Historically, agriculture, trade and craft shaped the economic development. Later, the municipality developed into a more diversified commercial and residential community.
