In medieval times, most of the district was occupied by clerical states.[citation needed] The Miesbach district today is the union of the areas that were formerly occupied by theHohenwaldeck county, the territories owned by the powerfulTegernsee Abbey, the territories owned by theWeyarn Abbey and Valley County.[2] Hohenwaldeck was annexed by Bavaria in 1734, Valley in 1777. The clerical states were dissolved in 1803 and fell to Bavaria as well. Miesbach was established in 1803: the foundation ceremony took place in the court district of Hohenwaldeck. In 1818 Tegernsee was established. The same year the Aibling district was established too and Miesbach had to deliver 12 municipalities. In 1939 Tegernsee was merged into Miesbach. During the territorial reform in Bavaria in 1972Otterfing was merged into Miesbach too and the district Wolfratshausen as well.[citation needed]
The southern half of the district is located in theBavarian Alps. This section of the Alps is calledMangfall Mountains (Mangfallgebirge) as theRiver Mangfall has its source here. The most important peaks areRotwand ("Red Wall", 1,884 m), the highest mountain in the area, andWendelstein (1,838 m) .
The riverMangfall, a short but broad affluent of the riverInn, flows northward with the district's municipalities on either bank. In the initial part of its course it runs throughTegernsee Lake (9 km2).