- In German, the Danube is called Donau, in Slovak Dunaj, in Hungarian Duna, in Croatian, Serbian, and Bulgarian Dunav, in Russian and Ukrainian Dunai, in English and French Danube, and in Turkish Tuna. All of these names originate from the Latin Danubius, the name of a river deity.
- The Danube is formed by the confluence of two streams originating in the Black Forest Mountains: Breg and Brigach.
- Although its source is mainly in the Alps, most of the Danube’s important tributaries join it from the right bank.
- The Danube is one of the few major European rivers (alongside the Po) that flows from west to east. After a journey of 2,852 km, it reaches the Black Sea in the Danube Delta region.
- Unlike most rivers, the Danube’s kilometers are counted from its mouth to its source, with the official “zero” kilometer located at the Sulina Lighthouse on the Black Sea coast.
- Over 300 bird species live along the Danube’s banks. It is one of Europe’s most important bird migration routes, and its pristine riverside areas serve as wintering, resting, and nesting grounds—sometimes for rare species.
- Romania holds the longest section of the river: 1,075 km.
- Moldova has the shortest stretch of Danube riverbank: just 340 meters.
- For Bulgaria, the Danube is the country’s only navigable waterway, connecting it to Central Europe and Germany.
- No country is as closely associated with the Danube as Austria—through both the famous Blue Danube waltz and the popular nickname The Danubian Monarchy given to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which once stretched along approximately 1,300 km of the river’s banks.
BONUS: Nearly 100 tons of plastic are carried annually by the Danube through Romanian territory.
