Bruntál District borders Poland in the north. The terrain is mostly fragmented and hilly, and in the west it turns into mountains. The territory extends into four geomorphological mesoregions: Nízký Jeseník (most of the district), Hrubý Jeseník (west), Zlatohorská Highlands (north), and Opava Hilly Land (small parts in north and east). The highest point of the district and of the entire Moravian-Silesian Region is the mountain Praděd in Malá Morávka with an elevation of 1,491 m (4,892 ft). The lowest point of the district is the river bed of the Osobloga in Osoblaha at 205 m (673 ft).
From the total district area of 1,536.7 km2 (593.3 sq mi), agricultural land occupies 704.3 km2 (271.9 sq mi), forests occupy 706.3 km2 (272.7 sq mi), and water area occupies 21.0 km2 (8.1 sq mi). Forests cover 46.0% of the district's area.[1]
The most important rivers are the Opava, which originates here and flows through the centre of the district to the east, and the Moravice, which also originates here, flows through the southern part of the district, and later joins the Opava. An important tributary of the Opava in the district is the Opavice. The northern part of the district is drained by the Osoblaha. The Bystřice originates in the southern part of the district, but soon leaves the district. Overall, the area is poor in bodies of water, but there is Slezská Harta Reservoir, one of the largest reservoirs in the country with an area of 8.7 km2 (3.4 sq mi).
The western part of the territory is protected as the Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area.
There are no motorways passing through the district. The most important roads are the I/11 from Opava to Šumperk and the I/45 from Bruntál to Krnov and the Czech-Polish border.