The Danube flows through or along the borders of more countries than any other river in Europe.
Its drainage basin includes 19 countries, while the river itself passes through or borders 10: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine. It begins in Germany’s Black Forest and empties into the Black Sea through a large delta.
Four national capitals—Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade—stand directly on the Danube. This concentration of capitals makes the river especially important in European history, transport, trade, and culture.
The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga. The Rhine is also economically important, but it crosses fewer countries, and the Volga lies entirely within Russia.