From its source in the Black Forest to its mouth where it empties into the Black Sea, Europe's second longest river flows a total of 2,888 kilometers (1,795 miles). Ever since ancient times the Danube has exercised a magical attraction on man. Along its banks the remains of the earliest human settlements have been found: the "Venus of Willendorf", which was discovered in the Wachau valley in Lower Austria, and a statuette from Carasija near Belgrade are two of the oldest representations of the human form in sculpture.

The Danube is a royal river, a European river par excellence. On its route from west to east it traverses ten countries and unites the most diverse peoples, religions and cultures into a harmonious whole. The banks of the Danube are densely lined by monuments which bear witness to an eventful history: mighty castles, lofty monasteries and sumptuous palaces. The varied scenery along the Danube's course is sometimes gentle and smiling, sometimes almost mystical, but invariably the stuff of legend and myth.

Visitors will encounter the great past of the river all along its route, but the Danube is also a thoroughly modern artery of communication. It is navigable for 2,415 river kilometers (1,500 miles), that is for almost its entire length, and via the Main-Danube canal links the Black Sea with the North Sea.

For millennia one of Europe's most important waterborne trade routes, the Danube continues to play this role today: it makes up part of the European Union's Corridor VII that traverses the continent. Sailing the Danube has also become increasingly popular with holidaymakers. Little wonder since a cruise on the great river is a unique and unforgettable experience. Over seventy cruise liners now regularly ply the Danube between Passau and Budapest, and as far downstream as the delta.

Whether traveling along the Danube by road, rail or bicycle, or sailing aboard a gleaming cruise liner, no one can resist the lure of this "Queen of Rivers" and the harmony of river and scenery.