The Danube - " The King Of The European Rivers"   

Considered the second river in Europe after the Rhine in point of length, the Danube is flowing on 2.858 km, rising in the Black Forest Mountains and flowing into the Black Sea.


Its basin, of over 800.000 sq. km, comprises about 80.000.000 inhabitants in nine countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Yugoslavian Rep., Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine).



The Danube was mentioned in Herodotus's Histories (484-425 BC.) and Napoleon namied it "the king of the European rivers".

On Romania's territory the Danube covers its last 1075 km, entering our country at Portile de Fier and ending its journey in the Danube's Delta, the most representative delta in Europe and one of the most complex in the world. Romania has 12 riverside districts: Caras-Severin, Mehedinti, Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Constanta, Ialomita, Braila, Galati and Tulcea.

Caras-Severin is remarkable for its picturesque caves in the mountains Banat, for the karst lakes and underground rivers. This is where you can find the beautiful resort Baile Herculane.

Among the touristic objectives of the district Mehedinti you might want to see: the ruins of the Roman bridge at Drobeta, built after the drafts of the architect Apollodor of Damasc, The Museum "Portile de Fier" (Iron Gates) in the town Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the cave at Topolnita, the harbour Orsova (where you can take voyages on the Danube, at Cazane - Danube's Strait), the natural bridge at Ponoarele (60 m long), the artificial lake Portile de Fier (the largest on the Danube) and the hydroelectric plant.

In the district Olt, you can visit the ruins of the Dacian and Roman fortresses from Romula, Limes, Rusidava si Sucidava. The dance "Calusarii", renown all over the world has its millenary origins in this area. Downstream there is another town, Giurgiu, an important harbour on the Danube since the 10 century; it was founded by the Genoveses in the place of an ancient Roman fortress, by the name of San Giorgio.

Downstream there are another three important localities: Cernavoda (the ancient Axiopolis - where the Romanian atomic electric power station is situated), Braila (important harbour used as a departure point for numerous cruises on the Danube, hunting and fishing programs) and Galati (shipyard).