Diez, Germany

Diez, Germany
Castle
Coat of arms
Diez, Germany
Location of Diez, Germany within Rhein-Lahn-Kreis district
Coordinates: 50°22′15″N 8°0′57″E / 50.37083°N 8.01583°E / 50.37083; 8.01583Coordinates: 50°22′15″N 8°0′57″E / 50.37083°N 8.01583°E / 50.37083; 8.01583
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
District	Rhein-Lahn-Kreis
Municipal assoc.	Diez
Government
• Stadtbürgermeister	Frank Dobra
Area
• Total	12.41 km2 (4.79 sq mi)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	12,073
• Density	970/km2 (2,500/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	65582
Dialling codes	06432
Vehicle registration	EMS, DIZ, GOH
Website	www.stadt-diez.de

Diez an der Lahn is a picturesque small historically significant town in Germany's Rhein-Lahn district in Rhineland-Palatinate, on the borders of Hesse. Diez is the administrative seat of the municipality of Diez. Sitting on the confluence of the Lahn and Aar rivers, the old town is dominated by an eleventh century castle, now a youth hostel and museum. The town and the area have been inhabited by humans since the Stone Age.

The center of Diez is located four miles southwest of Limburg an der Lahn and 31 miles east of Koblenz. Diez, which is in Rheinland-Pfalz and the adjoining city of Limburg in the state of Hessen are so close that in modern times they have increasingly merged into a single urban area, although they remain historically and politically distinct. The low rolling hills around Diez form part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. The Lahn Valley serves as the boundary between the highlands north of the Westerwald with the forest of Taunus rising to the south. This valley, the Diezer gate begins in the Limburg Lahn basin and rises towards Fachingen in the Lower Lahntal. The city of Diez itself lies at the confluence of the Aar and the Lahn.

The soils in the region Diez mainly belong to the brown or Luvisols. Diez itself is in a low area and traditionally has less snow than the surrounding uplands.

The first evidence of human settlement in the Diez area dates from the Stone Age (v. 20000-12000 BC), as demonstrated by discoveries in the caves of Wildweiberlei (between Diez and Altendiez). Other prehistoric evidence includes burial mounds and pottery finds of Latène which would seem to indicate primitive cultures present during the Celtic period. The fertility of the Diez valley and its location at the confluence of the Lahn and the Aar clearly made it a natural place for primitive peoples to settle.