River Danube: connects the largest number of countries in the world

By (Mrs) Amb Narinder Chauhan

How many are aware that the famous River Danube runs its longest and widest in Serbia? The Danube is the second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through much of Central and Southeast Europe, from the Black Forest into the Black Sea. It derives its name from its source confluence in Donaueschingen onwards.

The Persian King, Darius crossed the river in the late 6^th century BCE to invade Scythians. King Alexander advanced from Macedonia to as far as the Danube to conquer tribal chieftains. Under the Romans, the Danube formed the border of the Empire with the tribes to the North.

Once the longstanding frontier of the Roman Empire, the Danube Connects  the largest number of countries in the world – 10, the Nile is second with 9. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows Southeast for 2,850 km (1770miles), passing through or bordering Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine before draining into the Black Sea. Its drainage basin extends to nine more countries.

The capital cities of Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade and Bratislava, are located on the Danube. These capitals have also depended on the Danube for their economic growth. Valued as a traditional trade route in Europe, the Danube river remains a source of water, and power through its hydro-electric plants. The Danube river basin is rich with diverse marine life. European borders, particularly the Balkan borders have been drawn along the Danube river.Today, 2415 km of total length of Danube is navigable; the ancient fortresses and modern cities on its banks make it one of the most desirable cruising destinations in Europe.

There is today an international commission for the protection of the Danube river (ICPDR) that comprises 14 member states and the European Union. Established in 1988, the Commission deals with the whole Danube river basin, including tributaries and ground water resources. It promotes equitable and sustainable water management including conservation, improvement, and rational use of waters, among other things.

An integral part of Serbian history, the Danube for centuries has been the border between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, at the same time dividing symbolically the East and the West.The river’s majesty has been celebrated in music: the famous waltz, blauen Donau, 1867: the Blue Danube, by John Strauss the Younger, became the symbol of Imperial Vienna.

In Serbia,the Danube flows 588 km in total, the longest for any European country. It runs from Serbia’s border with Croatia and Hungary to the border with Romania and Bulgaria.The entire section of the Danube in Serbia is navigable and it flows through the two largest cities of Serbia- Belgrade and Novi Sad.

Along the flow of Danube from west to east in Serbia, one will find old citadels and fortresses of Bac, Petrovaradin, Belgrade, Smederevo, Ram, Golubac and Fetisla, that traditionally served to defend borders, control riverways and trade, or a commanding view of the Danube. By discovering these historical landmarks and hearing their legends, one can learn so much about the turbulent Balkan history.

The Petrovaradin fortress, for instance, was built in the late 17^th century on the borders of two empires and was controlled by the Austro-Hungarians. It has served as a prison, convent and hospital: French philosopher Rene Descartes, leader of the Yugoslav Communist Party Josip Broz Tito and Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andric were all prisoners here. Petrovaradin, complete with clock tower etc,  provides a unique panoramic view of the Danube and of the city of Novi Sad, a multicultural city which also hosts the Puri Rath Yatra. Petrovaradin is frequently visited by Indian companies that annually participate in the largest agriculture fair of the region in Novi Sad, and enjoy the sights of Danube from the fort’s gourmet restaurants. 

A special mention is to be made of the Belgrade fortress Kalemegdan, built by the Romans in the 2^nd century connecting Constantinople (Turkey), and Thessalioniki (Greece),  with western Europe. Today, it has a museum, park, and is the most famous meeting place for youngsters,affording an astounding view of the confluence of rivers Sava and Danube. Kalemegdan has withstood the destruction of Belgrade 40 times in its history. It was on the ramparts of the Kalemegdan fortress that the international Yoga Day was organised in 2017 complete with drone photography followed by Yoga on the boat on the river.

The fort Fetislam, near the town of Kladovo served as the starting point for Ottoman conquests, hence the name-in Turkish Fethul Islam means “The gate of Islam”. Clearly, each fortress has its own story to tell and all shrouded in myths and legends.

Danube flows through national parks – Fruska Gora and Djerdap- creating the largest gorge in Europe – the Djerdap Gorge. The Golubac fortress has guarded the entrance to the gorge since the Middle Ages. The name Golubac derives from the Serbian word for pigeon- according to legend, when looking from the river, its towers and walls looked like pigeons. Another legend says the fort was named after a Serbian girl named Golubana who was left to die on a rock in the middle of the river by an Ottoman Commander who she had rejected.

It is at Golubac one sees the river at its widest point- 5.5 km. Almost like the sea, one gains a whole new respect for the river. Shortly thereafter, one also sees the river at its narrowest point-130m, which makes for a dramatic contrast. In modern times, cycle paths and resting places have been thoughtfully created along the bank to enable one to enjoy the rare and scintillating view of nothing but the river in front of you. It’s a two hour drive from Belgrade.

The magnificent and stunning Djerdap Gorge, better known as the Iron Gates, are the longest and deepest mountains in Europe. Some 100 km long from Golubac to Tekija, the harmony of the most beautiful and most remarkable gorge on the Danube makes the visitors feel as if they have stepped into another world. The Djerdap Gorge Can be navigated by cruise ships or boats. Believe me, it’s a unique experience of sailing through raw nature.

Themonumental Djerdap National Park is home to numerous species of plants and animals, and it is the right destination for everyone looking for peaceful and relaxing holiday in untouched nature far from large cities.It lies in eastern Serbia, on the border with Romania. In 2020, the wider area of the National Park was designated as the UNESCO global geopark. Spread over 63,000 acres, it includes the gorge, canyons, river valleys and over thousand caves of extraordinary beauty that are hidden on the right bank of the river. The Iron Gates National Park is rightly called the greatest naturalistic and archaeological museum in Europe.

LepenskiVir, one of the most important archaeological sites in Serbia, is founded on the Danube at the Iron Gate. TheLepenskiVir Museum at the site showcases original religious architectural designs, monumental sculpture from the period 7000 to 6000 BC, and a large number of tools which indicate that the original hunter gatherers established a complex society and a unique style of architecture. The 9000 years old  LepenskiVir is one of the world’s most important sites.  Visit to Djerdap cannot be complete without visiting LepenskiVir.

Two hydropower plants ‘Djerdap1’ and ‘Djerdap2’ are built on the Danube. The first hydropower plant was built in 1972 in co-operation with Romania and it is still fully functional. The Serbian government has plans to build a Djerdap 3, alongwith wind and solar plants for sustainable energy.

The two major music festivals of Serbia are also held by the Danube. The award winning EXIT Festival, one of the biggest music festivals of Europe, is organised by Ivan Petrovic, the President of the EXIT Foundation, and is held in the first half of July at the PetrovaradinFort in Novi Sad. Hundreds of thousands of international tourists, mainly youngsters, camp on the vast parks by the river bank to hear ear-shattering rock and jazz bands playing simultaneously on several stages.

In the second half of July, the famous Belgrade Beerfest is held at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube rivers, and against the backdrop of the Kalemegdan fortress, alongwith the good music of regional and domestic bands.Summer is a good time to be in Serbia.

The Danube basin is the site of some of the ancient cultures. The Danubian Neolithic cultures include the linear pottery cultures of the mid Danube basin. Many sites of the sixth to third millennium BCEVinca Culture at Vinca, Serbia,are sited along the Danube. The third millennium BCE Vucedol culture,Vukovar, Croatia, is famous for its ceramics.

The journey along the Danube, clearly, is a journey through the museum of European and Serbian history, indeed human history. Serbia has made it possible for all Indian passport holders to enter Serbia without visa and stay for one month to witness the magic of the country and the Danube.  Serbia is the only European country to extend this courtesy to India.

(The author is a former Indian ambassador to the Republic of Serbia. She tweets:@nchauhanifs Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited).

from Travel & Tourism – The Financial Express https://ift.tt/bfhkWmG