On the Middle and Lower Danube there are only two locks. These are situated at the Iron Gates, a gorge forged by the Danube through the Carpathians, which forms the border between Romania and Serbia.

The Main-Danube Canal makes it possible for animals to spread from Western to Eastern Europe and in the opposite direction.

Completed in 1992, the canal is 171 km (106 miles) long and runs from Bamberg on the Main River (a tributary of the Rhine River) to Kelheim on the Danube River, permitting traffic to flow between the North Sea and the Black Sea.

Over the centuries the Danube has been less important as an economic corridor than the Rhone or the Rhine, but is has been one of the most significant cultural and historic boundaries in Europe. In fact, the lower Danube became a critical cultural border region between Austria and the Ottoman Empire.

What I did notice was the locks: there are 16 locks on the canal – 13 of which are designed to conserve water – with an elevation rise of 175 metres (574 ft), and drop of 68 metres (223 ft). The Danube end of the canal is 107.3 metres (352 ft) higher than the Main end.

Ships could now sail from the mouth of the Rhine, near Rotterdam, to the Danube delta in Romania. Of course, there are other locks along the way – 68 in total if you sail from Amsterdam to Budapest – but those along the canal are the deepest and the most impressive.

The Danube River flows 1,777 miles from Germany through eight countries into Romania to the Black Sea. The Rhine River flows 766 miles from Switzerland into the North Sea. These major European Rivers interconnect.

Rhine River – The locks on the Rhine are 9 or 10 metres (29 or 33 feet) high except for two locks in Strasbourg.

The longest river in the European Union, the Danube River is the second-longest river in Europe after Russia’s Volga. Centuries of use as a trade route prepared the way for today’s Danube River cruise. Today, in addition to navigation and transport, the Danube provides drinking water for about 10 million people.

Strauss recalled a poem by Karl Isidor Beck (1817-79). Each stanza ends with the line: ‘By the Danube, beautiful blue Danube’. It gave him the inspiration and the title for his new work – although the Danube could never be described as blue and, at the time the waltz was written, it did not flow through Vienna.

With its unique location, scenic riverbank, lively culture and abundance of natural, thermal and mineral water resources, it is also known by many as ‘the Queen of the Danube’.

Budapest, Hungary – A wide-ranging global study has identified the Danube as the river with the highest concentration of antibiotics in Europe and the single most polluted on the continent.

Experts warn that swimming in the Danube is not risk-free due to ship traffic on the river as well as the water currents. Nature conservationist and water athlete Jaroslav Šíbl, who himself swims in the river, agrees that one should not underrate the river and overestimate one’s own abilities.

Prolonged heavy rain in the region has swelled the Danube and reduced visibility underwater, making the divers’ work more dangerous and increasing the likelihood that strong currents have swept victims far downstream. One body was found almost 12km from the site of the accident just hours after it occurred.

Vienna – Austrian police were scratching their heads on Thursday after fishing a 70cm crocodile out of the Danube canal in Vienna. The reptile, a native of South America, was spotted by firemen on a training exercise on the canal, a tributary of the Danube which runs through the city.

Danube Delta

No. The Danube is an international waterway and permits are not required. There are certain rules for individual countries that should be adhered to however. In Serbia national flags must be flown (or an equivalent sticker on the canoe).

The Danube

Top 10 Gold Consuming Countries

• China consumes roughly 984 metric tons of gold per year.
• India consumes approximately 849 metric tons of gold per year.
• The United States consumes around 193 metric tons of gold per year.
• Germany consumes close to 124 metric tons of gold per year.

Canada’s

THE DANUBE RIVER

List of longest rivers of Asia

The largest and most important rivers flowing into the North Sea are the Elbe and the Rhine – Meuse. Around 185 million people live in the catchment area of the rivers discharging into the North Sea encompassing some highly industrialized areas.

In addition to Egypt, the Nile runs through or along the border of 10 other African countries, namely, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

Egypt

the Amazon

The River Nile flooded every year between June and September, in a season the Egyptians called akhet – the inundation. Melting snow and heavy summer rain in the Ethiopian Mountains sent a torrent of water causing the banks of the River Nile in Egypt to overflow on the flat desert land.

The Nile used to flood once every year during the inundation season, what the Egyptians called Akhet, between June and September. Now, the Nile doesn’t flood anymore because of the construction of the Aswan dam in the 1960’s (see page 11).

The Nile flood still comes, of course, but no one in Egypt sees it. Instead, it is contained in the immense inland sea called Lake Nasser, behind the Aswan High Dam.

Typical heights of flood were 45 feet (13.7 metres) at Aswan, 38 feet (11.6 metres) at Luxor (and Thebes) and 25 feet (7.6 metres) at Cairo.