Krāslava District was formed in 1949. It comprises Krāslava District, Dagda Town and 23 rural municipalities: Andrupene, Andzeļi, Asūne, Auleja, Bērziņi, Dagda, Ezernieki, Grāveri, Indra, Izvalta, Kalnieši, Kaplava, Kastuļina, Kombuļi, Konstantinova, Ķepova, Piedruja, Robežnieki, Skaista, Svariņi, Šķaune, Šķeltova and Ūdrīši parishes.

Daugava, the largest river in Latvia spans Krāslava District. Most of the district, except for Kaplava Parish, is situated on the right bank of the Daugava River. Dubna is the second largest junction basin of rivers.

There are 273 lakes in the district. The lakes cover 5 percent of its territory, making it one of the most densely covered regions in Latvia. Krāslava District is often called as „the land of the blue lakes”.