Friends, we invite you to a captivating waltz on the famous waters of the Danube, the principal river of Central Europe.

It is the second largest river in Europe after the Volga, and pan-European river par excellence. Indeed, this dance will sweep you along 2,857 km (1,775 miles), across ten different countries, and to four magnificient European capitals.

Follow the course of this grand river and visit such fascinating countries as Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova.

A Bit of History

Since the Greco-Roman era, the Danube has been used as a channel of communication and transportation. In the 9th century, the Asiatic shepherds known as the Magyars used it to reach what is now Hungary. During the First Crusade, the army of Godfrey of Bouillon marched along the Road of Charlemagne, which follows the course of the Danube. The Ottomans used it to travel from the other direction. This is just one illustration of how the Danube has contributed to the many facets of the Europe we know today.

Initially a commercial river, each country it passed through levied customs taxes. The Treaty of Paris in 1856 regulated the right of free exchange on the Danube, a law ratified during the Conference of Belgrade in 1948. Vessels of all countries are authorized to use the Danube freely, except for warships. Compliance with these laws and the maintenance of the river for navigation is the responsibility of the Danube Commission.

Today, little of the traffic on the Danube is commercial; most of it is touristic. At least 100 cruise ships ply the river, principally between Passau, Budapest, and the Black Sea. There are also scores of tour boats for day trips, particularly in Germany and Austria.

The Danube Tourist Commission is an association created in 1970 by seven countries that share the twists and turns of the Danube. Their mission, purely marketing-oriented, is to promote the Danube region. The establishment of such an organization is a real tour de force in that it unites countries between which political, social, and economic ideas are completely different, and did so in an era when nothing presaged the end of the Iron Curtain.

Activities on the Danube

Other than leisure activities to enjoy while boating on the river, the Danube has other attractions, among which is the viticulture that has developed along its banks: in Wachau, Austria, the Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Chardonnay varietals are cultivated. In Hungary, vines are grown along practically the entire length of the Danube’s banks between Visegrad and the southern border of the country.

Why not sip a glass of wine while you glide along the river to the strain of Strauss’ “Blue Danube” waltz in the air?

Cruising the Danube

The source of the Danube is in Germany, at Donaueschingen in the Black Forest. It courses to Ratisbonne where walks along the river have inspired great poets such as Goethe. The old town perches high up, overlooking the river and its sparkling waters. The Danube continues on towards Bavaria and the romantic scenery around the city of Passau.

Next, you find yourself in Austria, a country which is always closely associated with the Danube, as much for the famous waltz “On the Beautiful Blue Danube” as for its title, the “Kingdom of the Danube”, given during the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The beautiful Danube waltzes with the Austrian capital, Vienna, and continues past a number of well-maintained historical sites along the river that give a particularly striking character to the Wachau region, which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and which lies between Melk and Krems.

The Danube marks the border between Austria and Slovakia, where it flows through the capital, Bratislava (whence the slogan “the other capital of the Danube”) and where in particular you’ll want to visit the castle above the river.

Next the Danube carries you on to Hungary. Although until this point the river flows from east to west, it turns 90˚ towards the south, near Visegrad. The city of Visegrad is worth a detour: climbing up to the fortress puts the river at your feet and affords an impressive view of its twists and turns.

The Danube next caresses the shores of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, where it is an inescapable element of the landscape. Who doesn’t fall in love with a view of the Parliament buildings reflected in the waters of the Danube, or of the Castle perched on a hill above the river? Who doesn’t appreciate the charm of an excursion to St. Margaret Island? Who wouldn’t take the time, for an hour or two, to glide along the river in one of the cruise boats?

Let’s continue our journey along the Danube, which leads us on to forms the border between Croatia and Serbia. Croatia, bathed by the left bank of the Danube, offers a land of plains and marshes that are now natural parks. In Serbia, the Danube passes by its fourth European capital, Belgrade. This site, inhabited for 7,000 years, is in fact one of the oldest continually inhabited cities on the banks of the Danube: A record!

For one third of its total length, the Danube runs through Romania. Here again, the river acts as a border with Bulgaria on the south bank. The Danube then just kisses the southern point of Moldova for a mere 340 meters (371 yards), two thirds of which were relinquished by the Ukraine due to a territorial exchange in 1999. After three small turns in Ukraine, where it forms the border with Romania, the Danube returns to Russian soil, as if ashamed of its infidelity, and after barely a few kilometers, decides to end its voyage and throw itself into the Black Sea.

A grand finale ends the Danube’s waltz; it bows out at the Danube Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991 and the 23rd largest in the world. It is considered to be a natural reserve without equal. Exceptional scenery covering 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles) and including 400 lakes make up this reserve, which is the central crossroads for migratory birds in Europe and the meeting point between European and Asiatic animal species. Hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles have been counted in this area.