5 Major Rivers of Europe
Some of Europe’s better-known rivers, such as England’s Thames, the Seine of France and Germany’s Rhine, are in fact comparatively small. Four of Europe’s five largest rivers are located in the European part of Russia, underlining the size of the vast country. European Environment Agency figures show that Europe’s five largest rivers are the Volga, the Danube, the Dnepr, the Don and the Northern Dvina.
At 2,193 miles, the Volga is Europe’s longest river and draws its water from an area that makes up around 40 percent of European Russia. By the time it discharges into the Caspian Sea, the Volga has absorbed water from about 200 tributary rivers. Around 60 percent of the water comes from melting snow, which caused widespread spring flooding in the surrounding areas in the past. Today, however, a series of reservoirs regulates the flow and they also generate 11 million kilowatts in hydroelectric power. Areas of the Volga are also popular vacation destinations; cruise boats make the journey between St. Petersburg and Moscow in about two weeks.
The Danube links some of central Europe’s major cities, including Vienna, Austria; Bratislava, Slovakia; Budapest, Hungary; and Belgrade, Serbia. Rising in the Black Forest area of southern Germany, the Danube flows 1,770 miles to the Black Sea. In Budapest, the Hungarian capital, the river literally splits the city in two; in fact Buda and Pest were only officially united in 1873. The Danube passes through nine countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.
The Dnepr runs south from its source about 150 miles west of Moscow, traveling 1,367 miles to the Black Sea. It passes through the Russian Federation, Belarus and Ukraine, drawing its water from a massive 195,000-square-mile area of eastern Russia. The river has an important place in the history of eastern Europe and for centuries provided a link between the Baltic countries in the north and Greece to the far south. Bradt Travel Guides recommends May and June as the best months to cruise the Dnepr -- the river is relatively quiet and green willow trees and colorful flowers create attractive scenery.
The Don flows for 1,162 miles through eastern Russia and Ukraine to the Sea of Azov, at one point passing within 165 feet of the Volga River. Since 1962, the two have been linked by the Volga-Don canal, a waterway wide enough to take small seagoing ships. The Don drains a 163,000-mile area and is mainly fed by melting snow in the spring. The lower part of the Don is always frozen in the winter and does not fully clear until April. From Rostov-on-Don, at the river mouth, you can cruise upstream to see historic villages established by Cossacks in the 1600s or even take a dip in the river.
The Northern Dvina differs markedly from the other large European rivers -- it flows in a generally northerly direction, emptying into the White Sea near Arkhangelsk, Russia, close to the Arctic Circle. It drains an area of 138,000 square miles -- larger than the entire country of Poland. The delta at the river’s mouth covers 425 square miles, laced with channels large and small. Much of the river runs through forests and marshes far from urban areas, although Arkhangelsk itself is a major industrial city and the center of Russia’s sawmill industry.
- European Environment Agency: Major European River Catchments
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Volga River
- Frommer’s: 10 Best River Cruises, Volga
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Danube River
- Rough Guides: Budapest Guide, Introduction to Budapest
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Dnepr River
- Bradt Travel Guides, Ukraine; Andrew Evans
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Don River
- Don Tourism Official Portal: Tourism Types in Rostov Region, Water Tourism
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Volga-Don Canal
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Northern Dvina River
- Andy Sotiriou/Photodisc/Getty Images