Cities on the Danube

The Danube River is the second longest in Europe, exceeded only by the Volga River in length. One thing that makes the river notable is that it flows through more capital cities than any other river in the world. The capital cities through which the river passes are Budapest, Vienna, Belgrade, Bratislava, and Linz.

Cities on the Danube

Budapest

With over 2.97 million inhabitants, Budapest is the largest city on the Danube. The city is also the largest city in Hungary as well as the European country’s capital city. The area through which the river crosses is known as the Danube Promenade and it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the high number of monuments found along the river. Some of these monuments include Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church, the Hungarian Parliament, the Liberty Statue, the Gresham Palace, and the Buda Castle.

Vienna

Vienna has a population of over 1.8 million people making it the second-largest of the cities through which the Danube flows. The city is the capital city of Austria and the nation’s largest city. The city’s metropolitan area is home to about 2.6 million inhabitants which is equivalent to 30% of Austria’s total population. The Danube is an essential means of water transport in Vienna, connecting the city to the Black Sea. The city was founded when Celts settled on the region near the Danube in 500 BC.

Belgrade

Another city found along the Danube is Belgrade. However, unlike other cities found along the river, Belgrade is situated at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. The city is Serbia’s largest city, having a population of 1.23 million people, and is also the country’s capital city. The primary port in the city is the Port of Belgrade which is found on the Danube. The city has numerous bridges to facilitate transport of people and goods across the Danube. The main bridge across the river is the Pupin Bridge.

Bratislava

The Slovakian capital city of Bratislava is also found on the Danube river. Bratislava is home to about 420,000 people in its metropolitan area. The city is one of the least populated capital cities in Europe, but it is still the largest city in Slovakia. The Danube is not the only river on which Bratislava occupies, as it also lies on the banks of the Morava River. The Danube is essential in the city’s water transport and is home to the Port of Bratislava. The port facilitates the movement of goods to the Black Sea and the North Sea (via the Danube Canal).

Linz

The smallest capital city found on the Danube is Linz. The small city is home to about 200,000 people. Nonetheless, the city is still recognized as the state capital of Upper Austria. Transport on the river is done using cruise ships, boats, and barges. The city’s location on the river is represented on its Coat of Arms whose wavy lines represent the Danube.

Other Cities

The Danube River has its source in Germany and flows through nine other countries before draining to the Black Sea covering a distance of 1,780 miles long. Other cities that the river flows through include Ulm in Germany, Regensburg in Germany, Gyor in Hungary, Dunaújváros in Hungary, Vukovar in Croatia, Novi Sad in Serbia, Zemun which is a municipality in Belgrade, Pančevo and Smederevo in Serbia, and Drobeta Turnu-Severin in Romania. The drainage basin of the Danube River covers nine more countries.