The area of the city of Bolzano is 52.3 km2, of which 28 km2 is used as a settlement area. The city is located in the basin where the Sarntal, Eisacktal, and the val Adige with their rivers, Talfer, Eisack, and Etsch Adige, meet. In the Middle Ages, the two main Alpine crossings, the Via Claudia Augusta over Reschenpass and the Brenner route over Brenner Pass, met in Bolzano. Thus, the city was very important for the trade. The highest point is 1616 m above sea level and the lowest point is 232 m above sea level. The center is located at an altitude of 262 m above sea level. The nearest big cities are 58 km (Trento) and 118 km (Innsbruck) away.