The Danube River is the second longest river in Europe and the surrounding lands that form the Danube basin are steeped in history, with evidence that parts of it have been settled since the 5th millennium B.C. The Danube basin in Europe extends almost 3,000 km from the Black Forest in Germany, through the Alps in Austria to the Danube Delta and the Black Sea coast of Romania. Covering over 800,000 km², this region of Europe is the land surrounding the Danube River, its tributaries and flood plains.
On its journey to the Black Sea, the Danube crosses more countries than any other river in the world.
Just over 600 of the river’s 2,800-plus kilometres pass through Germany and until the Wall came down, many of the ten countries through which the Danube flows today were behind the Iron Curtain. It is now possible to go on a river cruise along the length of the Danube.