The rivers of Germany have a total length of over 7000 kilometers and carry their waters through the territories of neighboring states. The largest waterways of the country are the Rhine, Oder, Danube, Elbe, Weser and Ems. And if the Danube ends its journey in the Black Sea, then the rest of the country's rivers rush to the North and Baltic Seas.
Large rivers are found mainly in the west of the country. The main waterway of Germany is the Rhine. Many rivers are its tributaries. Only a few are independent: Weser; Neisse; Elbe; Oder.
Rhine
It is impossible to call the Rhine a German river, since it flows through the territory of several states. The total length of the Rhine is more than 1,300 kilometers. The source is located in Switzerland. It enters the country already in the middle reaches, passing through rather picturesque places.
In its upper course, the river quite often overflows the banks, taking in the melt water of the Alps. This is why the lower Rhine never experiences problems with water supply.
Many hiking trails run along the waters of the Rhine.
Danube
The source of the river is in the Black Forest mountains. From here the river rushes east. The Danube waters cross the territory of ten states. The river is navigable almost all year round. The exception is a couple of winter months. In the warm season, there are no problems with traveling on the waters of the Danube.
Oder
The river captures the lands of three states - the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. The source is located in the Sudeten Mountains of the Czech Republic and then the river runs to the shores of the Baltic Sea. The history of the river is rather unusual: once a part of the route for the delivery of Baltic amber to the Mediterranean countries ran along it.
The river will be interesting and just as a place for excellent fishing. Here you can catch the following representatives of the fish kingdom: trout; catfish; pike perch; carp; eel. There are numerous nature reserves and parks on the banks of the river.
Weser
The river belongs entirely to Germany. The source is the confluence of the Werra and Fulda rivers (near the city of Hannoversch-Münden). At its source, the river is ninety meters wide, and when it flows into the waters of the North Sea, it diverges to a grandiose eleven kilometers. Medium ocean-going vessels can easily go up to the city of Bremen, which is 70 kilometers from the coast.
Elbe
The Elbe flows on the territory of two countries - the Czech Republic and Germany. The source is located in the Czech mountains (Giant Mountains). The main part of the river belongs to the German state, where its confluence is located - the North Sea.
The Elbe is connected to the waters of the Baltic Sea and other rivers through a system of canals. Some of them have survived and have been functioning perfectly since the distant Middle Ages.
