The Danube flows through Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, and Belgrade before reaching the Black Sea.
At about 2,850 kilometres, the Danube is Europe’s second-longest river, after the Volga. It rises in Germany’s Black Forest, where the Brigach and Breg rivers meet at Donaueschingen, and then crosses or borders ten countries.
The river passes through more national capitals than any other river. Its route links central and southeastern Europe, supporting transport, agriculture, hydropower, fishing, and tourism. The Danube Delta, where the river reaches the Black Sea, is one of Europe’s most important wetland areas.
The Danube has been known by different names across languages, including Donau in German and Dunaj in Slovak. It is sometimes confused with the Rhine because both are major European waterways, but the Rhine flows north toward the North Sea rather than southeast toward the Black Sea.