River · Germany, Austria, Slovakia
Danube
The Danube flows through more countries than any other river in the world, linking capital cities across central and eastern Europe. It ends its journey in the Black Sea.
Picture credit: UED77 (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Erik Cleves Kristensen (CC BY 2.0) · Heinz Bunse (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Danube?
The river begins at Black Forest, Germany.
It ends in the Black Sea.
Along the way it passes: Donaueschingen (source) → Ulm → Regensburg → Passau → Linz → Vienna → Bratislava → Budapest → Novi Sad → Belgrade.
Countries on the river: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine.
The story behind it
The Danube begins in Germany's Black Forest, where two small streams called the Breg and the Brigach meet at the town of Donaueschingen to form its official source. From there it flows southeast for nearly three thousand kilometres, touching or flowing through ten countries and passing directly through four national capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade, more capital cities than any other river on Earth. Along the way, huge cargo barges carry goods between countries, while historic castles and vineyards line its banks in Austria and Germany. Near the Serbia-Romania border, the river squeezes through the dramatic Iron Gate gorge before finally spreading into the wetland maze of the Danube Delta in Romania, one of Europe's richest wildlife habitats, home to pelicans, wild boar and rare white-tailed eagles, just before reaching the Black Sea.
Questions children ask
How long is the Danube River?
The Danube is about 2,850 kilometres long, making it the second longest river in Europe after the Volga. It flows from Germany's Black Forest all the way to the Black Sea.
Which countries does the Danube flow through?
The Danube touches or flows through ten countries, including Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. No other river in the world flows through as many countries.
Why is the Danube important?
The Danube is a major route for shipping goods between European countries and provides water for millions of people. Its delta in Romania is also one of Europe's most important wetlands for rare birds and wildlife.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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