The Great Danube on the Historical Map of Europe. An Important Lifeline and Strategic Objective of Major Military Conflicts from Our Time to the Depths of the Ages

British journalist Nick Thorpe embarked on a journey from the Black Sea to the Black Forest, traveling from the mouth to the source to see the legendary Danube with his own eyes, where ancient civilizations were born and modern states were formed. Moving upstream, the author visited cities, monasteries, reserves, and emblematic places of the "Danube powers": the Iron Gates gorge, blocked by the dam of the same name; the birthplace of sculptor C. Brancusi; the plain near Mohács in Hungary, where battles for the "heart of Europe" took place. From travel notes, conversations with people whose lives are inextricably linked to the Danube, vivid episodes from chronicles, hagiographies of saints, and biographies of prominent natives of the Danube region, tales and songs, a picturesque canvas emerges, reflecting the beauty and capricious nature of the great river that became the cradle of nations and the main waterway of Central Europe.