The Danube flows through Budapest and empties into the Black Sea.
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, after the Volga. It rises in Germany’s Black Forest and travels about 2,850 kilometres through or along the borders of ten countries before reaching the Black Sea through its large delta.
Budapest, Hungary’s capital, developed on both sides of the river. Buda lies mainly on the western bank, while Pest occupies the eastern plain; bridges connect the two historic areas. The river has been central to transport, trade, defence, and the city’s visual identity.
The Danube passes through four national capitals: Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade. Its delta in Romania and Ukraine is one of Europe’s most important wetland regions. The Rhine, another major European river, flows to the North Sea, while the Volga drains into the Caspian Sea.