The river Neckar divides the district of Esslingen near Stuttgart into two parts; the eastern part borders on the Schwäbische Alb (Swabian Jura). While a series of medieval town centres provide living evidence of the history of the district and make it a popular tourist destination, Esslingen is also known as one of the economically strongest parts of Europe. Many medium-sized firms in the machinery, automobile and electronics industries are located in the district, which is also home to a number of higher education establishments, including Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, which has two of its three campuses in the town, which is the administrative centre of the district.