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Background

As the major river of central and south-eastern Europe, the Danube has played significant roles in the history of the continent, first as a border, then as an invasion route and later as an important transport and trade artery.

A Roman frontier

The first civilisation to recognise the importance of the river was the Romans. After pushing north through the Balkans, they arrived on the banks of the lower Danube around 9BC. Seeing the value of a natural and defendable northern border to protect their empire from barbarian tribes, the Romans established fortified settlements along the river from Germany all the way to the Black Sea, the largest of these in the section covered by this guide being Aquincum (near Budapest), Singidunum (Belgrade), Viminacium (near Kostolac) and Durostorum (Silistra). The Romans knew the border area as the Limes and settlements were connected by a series of military roads. The Romans advanced across the Danube (AD101) into Dacia (modern day Romania) but withdrew again in AD271. After the Roman Empire split in two (AD330), the province of Pannonia (modern day Hungary and Croatia) became part of the Western Empire and Moesia (Bulgaria and Serbia) part of the Eastern (later Byzantine) Empire. The Western Roman Empire collapsed and was overrun by barbarians in the fifth century, leaving the Byzantine Empire to soldier on until 1453.