What is the longest river in Europe and through which countries does it flow? The first answer is the beautiful river Volga. The second, if we consider only the European Union, is the river Danube.
Today, let's learn more about these two majestic rivers, where they originate, which countries they pass through, what beautiful landscapes they cross, and some interesting chapters in their history.
The volga river
As we said, It is the longest river in Europe and is 3645 kilometres long.It is not the longest river in the world, it is ranked 15th on that list, but it is the longest river on the European continent.
The Volga is a river that Born in European Russia, in the hills of Valdai, northwest of central Russia, halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It falls from this place, 228 meters above sea level, slowly and beautifully, until flow into the Caspian Sea 3530 kilometers to the south.
Along its course, it receives water from about 200 other tributary rivers, most of which join the flow on the left bank. Thus, the Volga River system consists of 151 thousand permanent and intermittent rivers and streams.
There are four geographical areas that lie within the Volga basin, a very wooded one that runs from its source to the old Gorky, today Nizhny Novgorod, Win, the forest steppe, from here to Samara, Saratov, the steppe from here to Volgorad, and then there are semi-desert lowlands to the southeast of the Caspian Sea.
The course of the Volga River, the longest river in Europe, is divided into three parts: the Upper Volga, Middle Volga and Lower VolgaThe first runs from its source to the confluence with the Oka River, the second from there to the confluence with the Kama, and the third from that point to the mouth.
Consider that the Volga, at its source, It is just a small stream that only becomes a real river when other rivers begin to feed its course.. In turn, along its route, it passes through some small lakes as well.
Where does the water of Europe's longest river come from? In principle, it is estimated that snow represents 60% of its load, as well as groundwater, 30%, and only 10% rainwater.
The natural life of the Volga River marks Major floods in springBefore the construction of reservoirs, the river level varied considerably along its course during these seasonal floods. The climate of the river varies according to its course, of course, so it is different from north to south.
From its source to its confluence with the Kama the climate is cold, with snow in winter, and hot in summer. It also experiences dry summers, depending on the altitude of the lands through which it passes, and even It freezes over in the Upper and Middle Volga in November and December.
The volga river It is navigable in most of its course, and about 70 of its tributary rivers are also so people and goods circulate it. In turn, the Volga also It joins the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, the Moscow River and the Sea of Azov.
It is because of these great features that It is considered the historical cradle of the Russian state. and spreads across two-fifths of the European part of Russia, comprising almost half of the entire population of the Russian Republic.
So, you can imagine the great cultural, economic and historical importance which is what the river itself and its vast watershed of 1.360.000 square kilometres have for the Russians.
Finally, it only crosses Russian territory and Roughly half of Russia's 20 largest cities have been built on its shores.. For example, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Gorodets or Rzhev, among others. In addition, approximately 40% of Russians live near the river and its tributaries.
The Danube River
What is the longest river in Europe? We are talking about the Volga, but If we only consider the EU we would have to say that it is the Danube.
This river runs mainly through eastern and central Europe. Starts in Germany, in Donaueschingen, in the woods of the Black Forest, and It runs for 2.850 kilometres across the continent until it flows into the Black Sea in Romania.
The Danube's source is located at an altitude of about 178 metres, at the confluence of the Breg and Brigach rivers near the town of Donaueschingen. Like every river, it has a course divided into three courses.
The upper course of the Danube is close to Vienna, running through Austria and Germany, draining into Switzerland and Italy. Here is a classic mountain river, with a deep valley with steep walls. Here it receives water from other rivers and some dams have been built.
The average course goes from Vienna to the Iron Gates, an impressive gorge on the border between Serbia and Romania. It runs through Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia and Romania, connecting with the most important tributaries.
Finally, The lower course begins in this canyon and reaches its estuary, passing through Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Here is a typical plain river, has a wider valley, many branches and a large delta where it meets the Black Sea.
Of course, it has a much richer route than the Volga, in cultural terms, passing through so many countries. Fortunately, some of them have protected part of their stretch with the figures of parks or nature reserves or national parks.
Summing up, thinking about what is the longest river in Europe and discarding the Volga, although it holds the title, we say that The Danube passes through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. And cities? Budapest, Vienna, Belgrade, Bratislava, Linz, Regensburg, Ingolstadt, Novi Sad, Galati, Vidin, Ruse…