The Danube is Europe's second-longest river, after the Volga. It originates in the Black Forest in Germany and flows eastwards for a distance of some 2,850 km, passing through several Central and Eastern European capitals, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. The Danube (pronounced /ˈdænjuːb/ in English) is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga. The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the eponymously named German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows eastwards for a distance of some 2850 km (1771 miles), passing through four Central and Eastern European capitals, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. Known to history as one of the long-standing frontiers of the Roman Empire, the river flows through — or forms a part of the borders of — ten countries: Germany (7.5%), Austria (10.3%), Slovakia (5.8%), Hungary (11.7%), Croatia (4.5%), Serbia (10.3%), Romania (28.9%), Bulgaria (5.2%), Moldova (1.7%), and Ukraine (3.8%). One theory ultimately derives all these variations to the Celtic word *dānu, meaning "to flow", and its exact equivalent is found in the Dutch name of the river Donwy. Other theories derive the name from an Iranic root that has contributed the names of all other major rivers emptying into the Black Sea, such as the Don, Donets, Dnieper and Dniestr. Ancient Greek Istros was a borrowing from Thracian meaning "strong, swift", akin to Sanskrit is.iras "swift", Ancient Greek ἱερός (hierós) "strong, sacred" The upper Danube springs as two small streams—the Breg and Brigach—from the eastern slopes of the Black Forest mountains of Germany, which partially consist of limestone. From Donaueschingen, where the headstreams unite, the Danube flows northeastward in a narrow, rocky bed. To the north rise the wooded slopes of the Swabian and the Franconian mountains; between Ingolstadt and Regensburg the river forms a scenic canyonlike valley. To the south of the river course stretches the large Bavarian Plateau, covered with thick layers of river deposits from the numerous Alpine tributaries. The bank is low and uniform, composed mainly of fields, peat, and marshland.
The second longest European river (after the Volga), it rises in Germany’s Black Forest and flows about 1,770 mi (2,850 km) to the Black Sea, passing along or through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Moldova. Its many tributaries include the Drava, Tisza, and Sava rivers. It has been an important highway between central and eastern Europe from antiquity. The lower Danube is a major avenue for freight transport, and the upper Danube is an important source of hydroelectricity. A regulatory body that consists of its riparian nations was established in 1948 to oversee its use. A major hydroelectric and navigation complex was built in the 1970s at Iron Gate Gorge in Romania. A canal linking Kelheim on the Danube and Bamberg on the Main River, allowing traffic to flow between the North and Black seas, was completed in 1992. The Danube played a vital role in the settlement and political evolution of central and southeastern Europe. Its banks, lined with castles and fortresses, formed the boundary between great empires, and its waters served as a vital commercial highway between nations. The river’s majesty has long been celebrated in music. The famous waltz An der schönen, blauen Donau (1867; The Blue Danube), by Johann Strauss the Younger, became the symbol of imperial Vienna. In the 21st century the river has continued its role as an important trade artery. It has been harnessed for hydroelectric power, particularly along the upper courses, and the cities along its banks—including the national capitals of Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia)—have depended upon it for their economic growth. The Danube’s vast drainage of some 315,000 square miles (817,000 square km) includes a variety of natural conditions that affect the origins and the regimes of its watercourses. They favour the formation of a branching, dense, deepwater river network that includes some 300 tributaries, more than 30 of which are navigable. The river basin expands unevenly along its length. It covers about 18,000 square miles (47,000 square km) at the Inn confluence, 81,000 square miles (210,000 square km) after joining with the Drava, and 228,000 square miles (590,000 square km) below the confluences of its most affluent tributaries, the Sava and the Tisza. In the lower course the basin’s rate of growth decreases. More than half of the entire Danube basin is drained by its right-bank tributaries, which collect their waters from the Alps and other mountain areas and contribute up to two-thirds of the total river runoff or outfall.
Danube River, one of the great rivers in Europe, second only to the Volga in length and discharge of water. From its source in the Black Forest of Germany the Danube flows 1,750 miles (2,816 km) generally southeastward to the Black Sea. It receives some 300 tributaries, including the Drava, Prut, Sava, and Tisza, and drains an area of 320,000 square miles (830,000 km 2 ). The river flows through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. In none of these countries is it called the Danube, which is its English name. The various names are Donau (Germany and Austria), Dunaj (Slovakia), Duna (Hungary), Dunav (Croatia, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria), Dunarea (Romania and Moldova), and Dunay (Ukraine). The Danube has a picturesque, winding course, passing through low, forested mountains, rich farmland, and many historic cities. Probably most scenic is the Austrian section upstream from Vienna. On the border between Serbia and Montenegro and Romania, the Danube flows through a narrow gorge called the Iron Gate. At its mouth the river crosses a large, marshy delta in three main distributaries. The Danube is well developed as a transportation route. The Danube has long provided the chief corridor between central and southeastern Europe. For centuries, however, transit was periodically blocked or impeded due to rivalries among the various nations along the river. The mouth, below Brăila, Romania, was placed under international control in 1856, the rest of the river after World War I. International control was abolished by Germany early in World War II. In 1949 representatives from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union created the Danube Commission to control navigation. Austria joined the commission in 1960. In 1992 the Rhine-Main-Danube canal opened. It links the Main and Danube rivers between Bamberg and Kelheim, creating an inland waterway that stretches from the North Sea to the Black Sea. Many Danube River cruises visit Nuremberg, Germany, where you can see the Imperial Castle and the Justice Palace, the meeting place for the War Crimes Tribunal in 1946, before transiting the Main-Danube Canal. On your Danube River cruise, you may also enjoy visits to the Vienna Opera house in Vienna, Austria; the world-famous Benedictine Monastery in Melk, Austria; or St. Stephan's Basilica and the Fisherman's Bastion in Budapest, Hungary. Many Danube River cruises also sail the Iron Gates, a spectacular gorge that runs between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains, forming the boundary between Serbia and Romania.
