The great River Danube, also known in older writings as the Dambius or Ister, flows across the whole of Hungary. No other province enjoys such a long and important stretch of this mighty river. If we count its course from the city of Ulm in Swabia, where it first becomes navigable, the Danube travels a very long distance through many famous cities and regions before and after it reaches Hungary.
The Danube’s Journey Through Europe
From Ulm, the Danube flows past several important cities, including Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Straubing, Passau, Linz, and Vienna. From Vienna, it continues to Pressburg, known today as Bratislava. After this point, the river enters Hungary and flows through the country for more than three hundred miles before reaching Belgrade Sofia City Tour.
Beyond Belgrade, the Danube continues its long journey through other lands. It washes the shores of Serbia, Bulgaria, Wallachia, and Moldavia. Finally, after forming many mouths, it empties into the Black Sea. Along this great course, the Danube receives more than sixty significant rivers, each adding to its strength and size.
Length and Importance of the Danube
When measured carefully, the Danube flows for more than fifteen hundred miles from its upper reaches to the sea. Because of this vast length and its many sections, it has been known by more than one name. The names Danubius and Ister were often used to describe different parts of the same river, depending on location and tradition.
I personally observed the Danube for nearly seven hundred miles. Yet, even with this experience, it is difficult to say with certainty whether I ever truly saw the part known as the Ister. Ancient writers did not agree on where the name Ister should begin The River Sava and Its Long Course.
Ancient Views on the Name “Ister”
The ancient geographer Strabo believed that the name Ister belonged to the lower part of the river, below the great cataract or waterfall. He placed this point near Xiopolis, in Lower Moesia, which is modern-day Bulgaria. According to this view, only the lower reaches of the river deserved the name Ister.
However, Appian and several later writers gave a different explanation. They stated that the Ister began where the River Sava joins the Danube at Belgrade. If this view is correct, then our time spent on the Ister was very short. As we traveled further into Serbia, we were forced to leave the river near a place called Hisargich.
Differences Between the Danube and the Ister
Many ancient authors described remarkable events and features of the Ister that are not easily confirmed in the upper parts of the Danube. These stories include accounts of unusual peoples, strange natural events, and important military movements. Such reports are more closely connected to the lower section of the river.
Because of this, the distinction between the Danube and the Ister was important to ancient historians and geographers. While they refer to the same river, they often described different regions, cultures, and experiences along its course.
The Danube is one of the greatest rivers in Europe. Its long passage through Hungary and neighboring lands makes it central to trade, travel, and history. Whether called Danube or Ister, it remains a powerful symbol of Europe’s natural and cultural unity.
