The name of the river is derived from the Czech word bystrá, which used to mean 'fast-flowing', 'rapid'.

[1] The Bystřice originates in the territory of Ryžoviště in the Nízký Jeseník range at an elevation of 658 m (2,159 ft) and flows to Olomouc, where it enters the Morava River at an elevation of 210 m (690 ft).

Its drainage basin has an area of 266.0 km2 (102.7 sq mi).

The longest tributaries of the Bystřice are:[4] The most notable settlement on the river is the city of Olomouc.

The river flows through the municipal territories of Ryžoviště, Lomnice, Dětřichov nad Bystřicí, Moravský Beroun, Hraničné Petrovice, Domašov nad Bystřicí, Jívová, Hlubočky, Velká Bystřice, Bystrovany and Olomouc.