This question was sent to me by email. These rowers wrote me the following message about traveling the Danube in a boat that’s too big and heavy for portaging around the dams. Theirs is an ocean rowing boat, which I later found out are almost as big as a small sailing yacht, with indoor sleeping spaces and all. When writing the response, I thought of turning it into a mini blog post to help fellow Danube travelers. Their message: Are the locks downstream of Ulm operational? Hi , We are curious about the locks downstream of Ulm on the Danube.Continue reading
Danube Trip
Ahhh, the mighty Danube!
I’ve had an obsession with the idea of kayaking the second-longest river in Europe – after the Volga – since 2013. In 2019, that dream came half-way true.
Jonas and I began paddling at the source in Donaueschingen, Germany. From there we continued downstream to the border with Austria, which we crossed. Then we paddled a short distance in Slovakia, followed by a lengthy stretch in Hungary. The original plan was to end in Budapest, but we had enough summer days left to continue another 200 kilometers. We came to a stop in the last Hungarian town on the Danube: Mohács.
We planned to continue this trip in 2021 after 18 months of traveling in Asia, but then 2020 happened. One day, the trip will continue into Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, a touch of Moldova, and Ukraine.
To the Black Sea. That’s where this river ends.
I wrote about each and every kayak day, which resulted in some 50 Danube-themed articles. I recommend you to start at Day Zero in Donaueschingen. If you’re searching for the statistics of our trip, look no further than the interactive Danube kayak map page with our spreadsheet. We did this entire trip while also working online on our non-paddle days, hence the name Kayak+Work.
The first half of the Danube trip was a literal dream come true. I can’t wait to continue this journey once the world opens up a little more again.
Kayak Trip Day 80: Cernavodă to Hârșova – Third Leak + Swimming Cows
This kayak day happened on the 15th of July, 2024. We kayaked from Cernavodă to Hârșova with a very leaky left air chamber and quite a strong headwind. Contents1 Leaving Cernavodă for Hârșova… THIRD LEAK!2 Kayaking Out of the Danube–Black Sea Canal3 Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant Hot Water Canal4 Pumping Up Again and Again + Dunărea and Capidava5 Headwind at Topalu6 Shortcuts and Bathing Cows to Hârșova7 Island Channels8 Arriving in Hârșova9 First Swim in the Danube10 Our Two-Night Stay in Hârșova11 Good read? Ponder buying me a cocktail!12 Wish to share or save for later? You do you (thankContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 79: Rasova to Cernavodă – Danube–Black Sea Canal
This happened on Friday the 12th of July, 2024. We had a short kayaking day from Rasova to Cernavodă. Cernavodă is where the third-to-last bridge crosses the Danube and where the Danube–Black Sea Canal splits off to Constanța at the Black Sea. Contents1 Leaving Rasova for Cernavodă2 Foal and Fowl3 Ships and Ships and Barges4 Paddling Under the Cernavodă Bridge + Anghel Saligny Bridge5 Kayaking the Danube–Black Sea Canal (Just a Little)6 Arriving in Cernavodă at St. Maria Bridge7 Our Nuclear-Powered Stay in Cernavodă8 Good read? Consider buying me a cup of tea!9 Sharing this article helps my blog LeavingContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 78: Ostrov to Rasova – the Danube at Dawn + Headwind in Romania
This Danube kayaking day happened on Wednesday the 10th of July, 2024. We paddled from Ostrov to Rasova in Romania. Contents1 Leaving Ostrov for Rasova2 Sunrise on the Danube3 Reentering the Danube Shipping Lane4 The Bala / Rău Split: Last Chance for Borcea Branch5 Our Luck Ran Out6 The Island Shortcut Before Rasova7 My Wrist Hurts + Arriving in Rasova8 Two Nights in Rasova9 Good read? Consider buying me a cold drink!10 Feel free to share this article, if you wish Leaving Ostrov for Rasova With Zucchini down by the river and the dogs barking at every noise, I didn’tContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 77: Silistra to Chiciu and Ostrov – Goodbye Bulgaria, Hello (Again) Romania
We paddled from Bulgaria to Romania on the Danube on Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024. We started our morning in Silistra on the Bulgarian side where we had checked out of the country the day before. Then we had to cross the Danube to Chiciu in Romania to legally check in per kayak there. This happened a few months before both Bulgaria and Romania fully joined Schengen. But our destination of the day was a small village called Ostrov a little further downstream. Contents1 Silistra Immigration by Kayak2 Leaving Bulgaria for Romania3 Romanian Immigration in Chiciu/Călărași4 Borcea: the BranchContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 76: Tutrakan to Silistra – Broken Kayak Sail + Heatstroke
This kayak day happened on the 5th of July, 2024. After only one night, we left Tutrakan to kayask to Silistra on the final stretch of the Bulgarian Danube shared with Romania. After this, the Danube will flow only through Romania, followed by a quick touch on Moldova and Ukraine before emptying in the Black Sea. Contents1 Leaving Tutrakan for Silistra2 A Shortcut Around Kosuy Island at Pozharevo3 Navigational Error + Sandwich4 The Second Blunder5 It Gets WORSE6 Lunch, Finally7 Silistra TV Tower on the Horizon + Pelican Shipwreck8 Break on Chaika + Silistra’s Truck Ferry to Chiciu9 Arriving inContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 75: Ruse to Tutrakan – New Kayak Sail + 1000 Kilometers Paddled
This kayak day happened on the 4th of July, 2024. We paddled away from the city Ruse where we had stayed for 10 days. It was more than 60 kilometers to Tutrakan, also in Bulgaria. Though we’d initially planned a two-night stop in Tutrakan, we ended up shortening it to one night because of the weather forecast. Contents1 Departing Ruse After 10 Days of Rest2 Kayaking Beneath the Giurgiu–Ruse Danube Bridge3 The Blue Kayak Sail Era Has Commenced4 Lunch in Ryahovo5 Continuing to Tutrakan + Shipping Lane Confusion6 1000 Kilometers Paddled!7 Sailing to Tutrakan + Douchebag Boat8 Arriving in Tutrakan9Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 74: Svishtov to Ruse – the Southernmost Point of the Danube
This paddle day happened on Monday the 24th of June, 2024. We kayaked from Svishtov to Ruse in northern Bulgaria. Nearby Svishtov is the southernmost point of the Danube River. In Bulgaria’s fifth-largest city Ruse, we’ll take more than a week to recover from all the paddling. Contents1 Departing Svishtov for Ruse2 Southernmost Point of the Danube + Vardim Island3 Headwind + Batin Island4 Dikili Tash Significant Rock5 Cliffs, Caves, and Islands Before Ruse6 Arriving in Ruse7 Ten Days of Rest in Ruse8 Helpful article? Consider buying me a craft beer!9 Feel free to share this post with your buddiesContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 73: Nikopol to Svishtov – Headwind to Belene Island + Attempted Side Quest
The kayaking trip from Nikopol to Svishtov on the Bulgarian Danube happened on the 22nd of June, 2024. At roughly 40 kilometers, it’s one of our shorter paddle days in recent times. Contents1 Departing Nikopol to Svishtov + Vending Machine Coffee2 The Rock Church of Saint Stephen3 Headwind + Weaving Islands4 Belene Island + Side Quest5 Paddling Around Belene Island6 Svishtov Ferry + Landing in Svishtov7 Our Stay in Svishtov8 Fun read? Consider buying me a cup of tea!9 Sharing this article makes me feel appreciated 💗 Departing Nikopol to Svishtov + Vending Machine Coffee My alarm went off atContinue reading