Danube+River

Danube River ==== The Danube is a river in Central Europe, and is the European Union's longest and the continent's second longest. The Danube is an international gateway and originates in the town of Donaueschingen, which is in the Black Forest of Germany. The Danube flows southeast for 1,785 miles passing through four European countries before emptying into the Black Sea in Romania and Ukraine. The Danube runs through many countries such as Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Serbia. ==== ==== In the 19th century, the Danube River was an important waterway and was a great source of drinking water for the people who lived nearby. Today, the Danube still gives water to over 20 million people in Germany, and is an important transportation route. Danube transportation allows goods to travel from different countries within Europe and people can travel on the route to get to business, or the different countries. ==== ==== During the 17th and 18th centuries, Serbians settled along the Danube. They settled there because warfare between the Habsburg Monarchy and the Ottoman Empire depopulated much of the lands of the valley that they lived in. The people in the valley lands were referred to as Swabians because they were Serbs, Hungarians, and Romanians. The majority of them went on board a boat in Ulm, Swabia on a boat called the Ulmer Schachteln, and they settled along the Danube. ==== ==== Today, along the Danube River you can enjoy going on cruises, fishing, swimming, and much more. The Danube River is not only an important waterway route, but is a great place to learn the history of where it came from. ====