Nuremberg is located on both banks of the river Pegnitz, which rises about 80 kilometres north-east of the city. The Pegnitz runs through the city – strongly canalized in the Old Town area – from east to west for about 14 kilometres. The city area comprises 186.5 square kilometres. In the west, the city almost continuously runs into the neighbouring municipalities of Fürth and Zirndorf, in the south west into the towns of Stein and Oberasbach.
Nuremberg's surroundings are characterized by attractive landscapes: in the east, the Franconian Mountains (Fränkische Alb), in the north the Franconian Jura (Fränkische Schweiz), and in the south west the Franconian Lake District. The city is mainly built on sandstone, and this determines its vegetation and agriculture.
For centuries, the "Reichswald" (Imperial Forest) within and outside the city is a forest area under special protection – in the former days of old Imperial Nuremberg as a an irreplaceable reservoir for timber, today as a leisure space and the city's "Green Lung". North of the city, the "Knoblauchsland" is the largest vegetable growing area in Bavaria, making a considerable contribution to the supply of fresh vegetables to the population.
