Bruneck rises up in the middle of a wide valley (perhaps an ancient lake basin) and lies at the confluence of the Ahr with the Rienz, which itself flows into the Eisack river.

Here the northern Tauferer Ahrntal side valley and the southern Val Badia of the Gran Ega creek join the broad Pustertal.

[4]The municipal area stretches from the slopes of the Zillertal Alps in the west to the Rieserferner Group of the High Tauern range in the east.

In the south rises the Kronplatz massif, part of the Dolomites, the Bruneck Hausberg with the Messner Mountain Museum Corones building designed by Zaha Hadid on top at an elevation of 2,275 metres (7,464 ft) and a popular ski area.

In 1901, following the passage of the Pustrissa countship from Henry IV to the Bishop of Brixen Altvino, the episcopal administration was established in the village of St. Caterina.

Nearby the small village of Ragen rose up as well as some farmsteads, which, after a donation from the noblewoman Svainilde, around 1000, became part of the possessions of the Brixen bishops.

During the turbulent times of the interregnum upon the death of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick II in 1250, the prince-bishop had a fortress erected above the town, which was first mentioned in 1276.

The first church inside the town walls (at first only a small chapel) was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgher Niklas von Stuck.

During the long-lasting Napoleonic Wars the town suffered no material damage, but as a marching station went into great debt because of housing and feeding soldiers and infantrymen for many years.

The gules tower and the wall are placed on a vert hill with three peaks: the castle was built by Bishop Bruno von Kirchberg in the second half of the 13th century.

[6] Due to its high elevation, with a mean height of around 830 metres above sea level, the town of Bruneck has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen: "Dfb"), with warm summers and chilly winters in Italian standards.