Which European river is the continent’s longest?

The Volga is Europe’s longest river. It flows entirely through Russia for about 3,530 kilometers before emptying into the Caspian Sea.

The river rises in the Valdai Hills northwest of Moscow and travels generally southward through western Russia. Its basin includes a large portion of European Russia, and major cities along its course include Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Samara, and Volgograd.

The Volga has played major roles in transport, trade, agriculture, and Russian history. Numerous reservoirs and hydroelectric stations were built along the river during the twentieth century, transforming parts of its natural flow.

The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river and crosses or borders more countries than any other European river. A frequent mix-up occurs because the Danube is more internationally prominent, while the Volga is longer but lies almost completely within one country.