ORF-E
English
2 x 50 min / 2 x 45 min
Worldwide except for Germany and France

This comprehensive cinematic portrait presents scenes of breathtaking beauty as the mighty river flows through great cities like Vienna and Budapest and untouched natural landscapes like the Danube National Park and the Kopaki Rit. But it also portrays the tensions between humanity and nature, civilization and wilderness, as dams and power stations alternate with sections of Europe’s second-longest river restored to their natural state. Further south, between the Carpathian mountain range in Romania and the Serbian Ore mountains, the Danube passes through the Iron Gate, 137 kilometers of gorges that are among the deepest in Europe. The great river ends in a unique labyrinth of water, mud and reeds – the Danube delta. It is the last remaining major river delta in Europe and the largest reed bed on earth, used by huge colonies of pelicans, cormorants, sea eagles and spoonbills for breeding and nesting.