This is a tour length of about 1800 miles (by bicycle! - read on) from the source of the River Danube at Donaueschingen in Germany until it exits into the Black Sea at the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine. Add another 450 miles for the journey from Calais to the starting point and roughly 1700 miles from the Black Sea to Calais and you have a total of around 4000 miles. However, there are numerous diversions that you may like to take along the way so your total touring distance may well be a lot further. I hope you have plenty of time to get the most from this tour.

At this stage, I would like to point out what may be an important factor for your tour; you can ride the full length of the tour following the course of the River Danube on your bicycle as well as by whatever motorised vehicle you may use - albeit by using different roads. As you can see on the map below this amazing river threads its way between numerous mountain ranges spread across much of Europe. This means there isn't much hill-climbing to do énroute if you're riding your bicycle - but lots of mountains to view from the valley below. As is the case with all rivers, it's downill (almost!) all the way to the sea.

If you're really an ambitious cyclist you can also link this tour to EuroVelo 6 which incorporates this route in a ride from the Atlantic coast of France all the way to the Black Sea. I will endeavour to cover the Danube route for both cyclists and for those with vehicles by giving you links that will cover both types of tour as you may well want to include some cycling in your otherwise motoring tour. I know many caravanners and motorhomers like to take their bicycles with them and on this tour there is no excuse not to ride them.

Map showing the course of the River Danube:

Map above courtesy of Wikipedia at URL: Danubemap.png (747×480) (wikimedia.org)

Above: The source of the River Danube at Donaueschingen.
Courtesy of URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danube#/media/File:Donauquelle_4168.jpg

Cities and Towns

The Danube flows through, or borders with, TEN countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. It also flows through four national capitals, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade (shown below in bold), as well as going not too far from another (Bucharest) - more than any other river in the world. You can derive your own motorised route through these towns and cities listed in order from the source to the Danube Delta:

•  Germany
  • Donaueschingen in the State of Baden-Württemberg – rivers Brigach and Breg join to form the Danube
  • Möhringen an der Donau in Baden-Württemberg
  • Tuttlingen in Baden-Württemberg
  • Sigmaringen in Baden-Württemberg
  • Riedlingen in Baden-Württemberg
  • Munderkingen in Baden-Württemberg
  • Ehingen in Baden-Württemberg
  • Ulm in Baden-Württemberg
  • Neu-Ulm in Bavaria
  • Günzburg in Bavaria
  • Dillingen an der Donau in Bavaria
  • Donauwörth in Bavaria
  • Neuburg an der Donau in Bavaria
  • Ingolstadt in Bavaria
  • Kelheim in Bavaria
  • Regensburg in Bavaria
  • Straubing in Bavaria
  • Deggendorf in Bavaria
  • Passau in Bavaria
•  Austria
  • Linz, capital of Upper Austria
  • Krems in Lower Austria
  • Tulln in Lower Austria
  • Vienna – capital of Austria and the most populous city on the Danube, where the Danube floodplain is called the Lobau, though the Innere Stadt is situated away from the main flow of the Danube (it is bounded by the Donaukanal – 'Danube canal').
•  Slovakia
  • Bratislava – capital of Slovakia
  • Komárno
  • Štúrovo
•  Hungary
  • Mosonmagyaróvár
  • Győr
  • Komárom
  • Esztergom
  • Visegrád
  • Vác
  • Szentendre
  • Göd
  • Dunakeszi
  • Budapest – capital of Hungary, the largest city and the largest agglomeration on Danube (about 3,300,000 people). This section of the river is also called Danube Bend.
  • Szigetszentmiklós
  • Százhalombatta
  • Ráckeve
  • Adony
  • Dunaújváros
  • Dunaföldvár
  • Paks
  • Kalocsa
  • Baja
  • Mohács
•  Croatia
  • Vukovar
  • Ilok
•  Serbia
  • Apatin
  • Bačka Palanka
  • Čerević
  • Futog
  • Veternik
  • Novi Sad
  • Sremski Karlovci
  • Zemun
  • Belgrade – capital of Serbia
  • Pančevo
  • Smederevo
  • Kovin
  • Veliko Gradište
  • Golubac
  • Donji Milanovac
  • Kladovo
•  Bulgaria
  • Vidin
  • Lom
  • Kozloduy
  • Oryahovo
  • Nikopol
  • Belene
  • Svishtov
  • Ruse
  • Tutrakan
  • Silistra
•  Romania
  • Moldova Nouă
  • Orșova
  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin
  • Calafat
  • Bechet
  • Dăbuleni
  • Corabia
  • Turnu Măgurele
  • Zimnicea
  • Giurgiu
  • Oltenița
  • Călărași
  • Fetești
  • Cernavodă
  • Hârșova
  • Brăila – limit of the maritime sector of the Danube
  • Galați – largest port on the Danube
  • Isaccea
  • Tulcea
  • Sulina – last city through which it flows
•  Moldova
  • Giurgiulești
•  Ukraine
  • Reni
  • Izmail
  • Kiliya
  • Vylkove

List above courtesy of Wikipedia at URL: Danube - Wikipedia

Other Useful Links:

Riedsee-Camping Philipp Eike and Florian Eike Gbr
At the Riedsee 11 | 78166 DS-Pfohren
FON: +49 (0)771 5511
MAIL: info@riedsee-camping.de
Start | Riedsee-Camping (riedsee-camping.de)

Nearby Attractions:

Donaueschingen Castle and its park is the main attraction of the city. The castle was built in 1723 as an elongated purpose-built building. In 1893/96 it was redesigned in the neo-baroque style and decorated with a dome. The associated stable was built in 1850 by Theodor Dibold.

Another building of the castle complex is the building built between 1732 and 1735 as a government building.

Court Library and the archive. The Fürstlich Fürstenbergische Hofbibliothek Donaueschingen was one of the largest and most important noble libraries in Germany in its heyday as a court library. No longer!



The Karlsbau, built in 1869, now houses the Princely Fürstenberg Collections.

In the castle park, which was designed as a landscape dweller from 1763 to 1819, there is the captured "Danube source" with a group of figures by Adolf Heer. This shows the "mother Baar" that of her daughter, who shows the way to the "young Danube".

The Belvedere on the "Schützenberg" in the District of Allmendshofen, probably built between 1803 and 1827, was restored for 128,000 euros and reopened on 8 June 2008.

The Catholic Parish Church of St. Johann Baptist was built from 1724 to 1747 in Bohemian Baroque style. The two towers characterize the cityscape of Donaueschingen and are considered landmarks of the city.

Donaueschingen Castle and its park is the main attraction of the city. The castle was built in 1723 as an elongated purpose-built building. In 1893/96 it was redesigned in the neo-baroque style and decorated with a dome. The associated stable was built in 1850 by Theodor Dibold. Another building of the castle complex is the building built between 1732 and 1735 as a government building. Court Libraryand the archive. The Karlsbau, built in 1869, now houses the Princely Fürstenberg Collections. In the castle park, which was designed as a landscape dweller from 1763 to 1819, there is the captured "Danube source" with a group of figures by Adolf Heer. This shows the "mother Baar" that of her daughter, who shows the way to the "young Danube". The Belvedere on the "Schützenberg" in the District of Allmendshofen, probably built between 1803 and 1827, was restored for 128,000 euros and reopened on 8 June 2008. The Catholic Parish Church of St. Johann Baptistwas built from 1724 to 1747 in Bohemian Baroque style. The two towers characterize the cityscape of Donaueschingen and are considered landmarks of the city.