The town stands on the right bank of the Osyotr River, which is a right confluent of the Oka.

[7] In the Grand Duchy of Moscow, Zaraysk was one of the fortresses forming a part of the Great Abatis Border, a fortified line of felled trees, barricades, fortresses, ditches, which were built by Russians as a protection against the hordes of the Crimean and Kazan Tatars.

[1] As an administrative division, it is incorporated within Zaraysky District as the Town of Zaraysk.

[citation needed] The main tourist attraction is a traditional Russian citadel known as the Zaraysk Kremlin.

It first attracted attention when a bison figurine dated 22000 BP was found there.