The week I decided to take a unique walk along the banks of the Danube in Budapest. This is a river that I see often but know very little about. Today I decide to invite a guide along to help me get to know the river a bit better.
From my guide, I learned that the Danube is the second largest river in Europe. It begins in the Black Forest of Germany and runs through 10 countries before it drains into the Black Sea. It stretches 1,770 miles and has hundreds of tributaries flowing into it, many of which flow in from the Alpes.
Looking at the brownish-green water as it gently flows through the city, it was hard to believe that these waters originated from the crystal-clean streams of Austria and Germany.
I discovered that the Danube doesn't look or function the same everywhere - as it runs from country to country it changes in appearance, flow, and function.
At the upper part of the river, not far from where the Danube begins in Brega and Brugach, Germany, the river goes underground, into a giant sinkhole where it flows through caverns before reemerging. This section of the river is known as the Black Danube.
As the Danube reemerges, it eventually meanders its way through the Black Forest to Passau on the German and Austrian border where it intersects with the Rhine and Main rivers creating the Rhine, Main, Danube canal. Winding through mountains and hills and through villages, the Danube eventually runs through major cities like Vienna and Bratislava before making its way to Budapest.
In Bratislava, the Danube deposits much of the sediment that it carries from the upper parts of Germany and Austria. The sediment deposits have actually created two large islands in the river, one island on the Hungarian side and one on the Slovak side. Tens of thousands of people live on these islands.
The central and southern parts of the Danube function as an important commercial waterway for Europe. According to my guide, "the lower part of the river is a route for freight transport, while the central part forms the main shipping route. The upper part of the river is an important source of hydroelectric power."
With so many countries and 80 million people living in the Danube basin, it is easy to understand that there are ongoing threats to its ecosystem. According to my guide, environmental concerns relate to the use and deposit of hazardous substances, organic and nutrient pollution and manmade changes in the rivers flow. Because of threats such as these, the countries which share the Danube must work together to protect the amazing resources.
The Danube is a vital part of Europe's trade economy, as well as tourism and recreation, it's a wildlife haven, a source of hydropower and it provides millions of people with drinking water. For these reasons and more, I learned that the Danube river is not just a beautiful attraction running through the city of Budapest but is a vital and dynamic source of life, springing out of nature.
Resources:
Danube River. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQBi6PHs7CI
The Danube River Basin and the ICPDR. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XmM6A1ALDY&t=282s
From my guide, I learned that the Danube is the second largest river in Europe. It begins in the Black Forest of Germany and runs through 10 countries before it drains into the Black Sea. It stretches 1,770 miles and has hundreds of tributaries flowing into it, many of which flow in from the Alpes.
Looking at the brownish-green water as it gently flows through the city, it was hard to believe that these waters originated from the crystal-clean streams of Austria and Germany.
I discovered that the Danube doesn't look or function the same everywhere - as it runs from country to country it changes in appearance, flow, and function.
At the upper part of the river, not far from where the Danube begins in Brega and Brugach, Germany, the river goes underground, into a giant sinkhole where it flows through caverns before reemerging. This section of the river is known as the Black Danube.
As the Danube reemerges, it eventually meanders its way through the Black Forest to Passau on the German and Austrian border where it intersects with the Rhine and Main rivers creating the Rhine, Main, Danube canal. Winding through mountains and hills and through villages, the Danube eventually runs through major cities like Vienna and Bratislava before making its way to Budapest.
In Bratislava, the Danube deposits much of the sediment that it carries from the upper parts of Germany and Austria. The sediment deposits have actually created two large islands in the river, one island on the Hungarian side and one on the Slovak side. Tens of thousands of people live on these islands.
The central and southern parts of the Danube function as an important commercial waterway for Europe. According to my guide, "the lower part of the river is a route for freight transport, while the central part forms the main shipping route. The upper part of the river is an important source of hydroelectric power."
With so many countries and 80 million people living in the Danube basin, it is easy to understand that there are ongoing threats to its ecosystem. According to my guide, environmental concerns relate to the use and deposit of hazardous substances, organic and nutrient pollution and manmade changes in the rivers flow. Because of threats such as these, the countries which share the Danube must work together to protect the amazing resources.
The Danube is a vital part of Europe's trade economy, as well as tourism and recreation, it's a wildlife haven, a source of hydropower and it provides millions of people with drinking water. For these reasons and more, I learned that the Danube river is not just a beautiful attraction running through the city of Budapest but is a vital and dynamic source of life, springing out of nature.
Resources:
Danube River. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQBi6PHs7CI
The Danube River Basin and the ICPDR. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XmM6A1ALDY&t=282s
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