The Danube flows through Budapest and separates the historic districts of Buda and Pest.
Budapest was formed in 1873 through the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest, with the Danube running between the western and eastern sides of the city. Buda occupies the hilly west bank, while Pest lies on the flatter east bank. The river is therefore central to Budapest’s geography, history, bridges, and identity.
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga. It rises in Germany’s Black Forest and travels roughly 2,850 kilometres before reaching the Black Sea through the Danube Delta. Along its course it passes through more national capitals than any other river: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade.
The river is sometimes confused with the Rhine because both are major European waterways. The Rhine flows through or beside cities such as Cologne and Rotterdam, but it does not divide Budapest. Budapest’s celebrated Chain Bridge, opened in 1849, was the first permanent bridge linking Buda and Pest.