Welcome to Danube Day 2022

Every year, Danube Day invites the 79 million people in the 14 countries of the Danube River Basin to celebrate one of Europe's greatest river systems, along with the rich diversity of people and wildlife that rely on it. A range of events and activities took place across the Danube River Basin to mark the 2022 Danube Day.

Danube Day 2022 at a glance

While the 2020 and 2021 Danube Day celebrations had to accommodate COVID-19 safety restrictions by holding online events, this year saw the return of outdoor events throughout several Danube countries! A variety of online activities also took place, including various special articles and coverage in place of physical events, online games and one-off website and internet experiences, online talks, video conferences, shareable short films, and much else.

The theme this year was “Discover Danube", inspired by the 4th Joint Danube Survey (JDS4), one of the world’s most comprehensive surface water monitoring efforts. The findings of JDS4, first published in 2021, have been disseminated throughout the Danube River Basin to inform the public about vital data gathered on water quality across the entire length of the Danube River and its major tributaries.

The Danube Day poster design for 2022 featured the motto, #DiscoverDanube, this time against a yellow background. Our signature Danube Day branded bags were also sent out to our partners throughout the Danube River Basin as every year.

Stay tuned to #DanubeDay and #DiscoverDanube on Social Media or watch this space for further updates.

Austria

Danube Day 2022 festivities in Austria started on 13th June with a boat tour at the heart of the National Park Donau Auen. In total, 5 boats were operated and supervised by park rangers, offering tours for 50 teenage pupils.

For visitors who joined on 14th and 15th June, stations were operated in the National Park House, the "SchlossORTH National Park Center", which was designed and supervised by National Park rangers and partner organisations.

Find out more here:

Bulgaria

In Bulgaria, various events were organised in the cities along the river to mark the Danube Day 2022:

In the town of Nikopol in Northern Bulgaria, Danube Day celebrations were held from 25th – 30th June and included interactive educational models, concerts, competitions, exhibitions, actions to clean the banks of the Danube and its tributaries, and a Danube Day info campaign.
In the village of Baykal, part of the municipality of Dolna Mitropolia, Danube Day celebrations were also held from 25th – 30th June and included interactive educational models, concerts, competitions, exhibitions, cleaning actions on the banks of the Danube, and a Danube Day info campaign.
At the same time, from 25th – 30th June, Danube Day celebrations were organised also in the town of Belene. Various activities such as interactive educational models, representation of Danube countries and traditional Bulgarian customs, and a Danube Day info campaign awaited the visitors.
In the town of Vidin (Danube Park in Vidin and Art Gallery open stage) "Danube Treasures" Festival was organised as part of the DANUrB+ Danube Day celebrations between the 02nd and the 03rd of July.

The Festival presented various activities to all its visitors: folk music and dance performances, local dishes and wine tasting, open doors of museums and galleries, free sightseeing tour of the little-known historical and architectural sites in the city, presentation of traditional crafts, kid’s corner with fun and engaging activities for the youngest ones, lighting show from the “Baba Vida” Fortress, and some more extreme activities such as bungee jumping from the Danube Bridge, boating, ballooning, and many more.

Find out more here:

Czech Republic

On 21st June, Danube Day was celebrated in Prague on the premises of the T. G. Masaryk Water Research Institute (TGM WRI). Czech activities for Danube Day 2022 were organised jointly by the Ministry of the Environment and the Water Research Institute (WRI).
The Water Research Institute’s Open House Day invited visitors to guided tours of the campus where they were able to see large-scale models of riverbeds and dams used for modelling water flows in future construction projects, as well as labs for water quality and drugs, an experimental wastewater treatment plant, and much more.
A Danubian workshop for children and adults was organised at the entrance to the campus. Children could paint, play water related games and fill in fun worksheets. Additionally, many booklets, posters and maps were made available for older visitors. Everyone also received a signature Danube Day branded bag filled with goodies. And most importantly – visitors could watch adorable baby sturgeons in a fish tank (the sturgeons now happily live in one of the labs at the Institute).

The event welcomed 4 school groups of children between the ages of 10-15, and many interested families, adults, and people who live in the vicinity of the venue.

Find out more here:

Germany - Ulm

Our colleagues of the Donaubüro in Ulm planned again their flagship event, the famous "Fahnenlauf" in honour of the Danube Day on 30th June. During the "Flag presentation for the International Danube Festival 2022", colourful flags that are the symbol of the International Danube Festival Ulm/Neu-Ulm were presented. The concept of the flags was designed by artists from Ulm/Neu-Ulm. Almost 650 flags were designed and hand-painted individually. For the opening ceremony of the International Danube Festival, people walked carrying the flags and placed them along the banks of the Danube. The following organisations were involved in the organisation of this year’s Danube Day festivities in Ulm: Danube Office, Donaufest, ASC Ulm/Neu-Ulm e.V..
Furthermore, Dr. Manfred Sengl of the Bavarian Environment Agency gave a presentation "How Blue is the Danube" (Wie blau ist die Donau?) on the JDS4 for the non-scientific but interested common public on 9th July.

Find out more here:

Serbia

As with every year, the PWMC Vode Vojvodine organised their traditional recreational regatta in honour of Danube Day on 29th June, promoting the Danube-based navigable potential of the Vojvodina province in Serbia, as well as nautical tourism and life near the water. The Vode Vojvodine regatta sailed along the DTD canals and Danube River on a circular route. This event is one of the largest multi-day recreational navigation events in Serbia. Visit www.vodevojvodine.com, or follow on Facebook or Instagram to find out more.
Another event to celebrate Danube Day in Serbia was held at the Ram Fortress, in the city of Veliko Gradište, a town and municipality located in the Braničevo District in Eastern Serbia. The event offered visitors a thematic programme focused on the importance and preservation of the Danube River, and included a boat ride on the Danube. Visit www.srbijavode.rs, or follow on YouTube or Instagram to find out more.
Additionally, several Danube municipalities throughout Serbia organised their local events with various activities for visitors such as: educational lectures for children in primary and secondary schools, thematic workshops in kindergartens, painting workshops for children, sports games and other water-related activities.

Slovakia

In the morning of 28th June, about 200 pupils from various schools were welcomed on pontoon 40 under the Old Bridge in Bratislava, where the Kriváň boat awaited them. During the boat trip towards the Devín Castle, the schoolchildren were able to learn interesting facts about the Danube River, its use and protection. Additionally, an expert from the State Nature Conservation Agency told them about the Danube environs around the watercourse.
After disembarking under the Devín Castle, the children registered for a knowledge competition which included various interactive eco-educational activities. They strolled from one booth to another collecting seals which were granted for each correctly performed activity. The happy winners were awarded those coveted ICPDR bags!
Additionally, pupils could make mini shelters for insects, and learn something new about aquatic and near-water animals through live demonstrations performed by the Slovak Fishermen’s Association. They could also get acquainted with predators from the Rescue Station for injured animals. Moreover, the Slovak Mining Museum organised a prospecting activity related to the discovery of minerals and rocks. There were also demonstrations on how to measure the amount of water in the Danube as well as sampling techniques. Children were also able to learn about the activities of the divers through live demonstrations and see dogs from the river police department.
The Slovak Water Research Institute (WRI) also hosted a booth just below the Devín Castle. Here, children were offered opportunities to solve a sturgeon puzzle, play our Sturgeon Board Game and draw some fish on the pavement.
And finally, the Water Research Institute (WRI) offered the possibility to take part in the Tour of the Laboratories of the WRI. Primary school pupils and their teachers were warmly invited to visit the Institute, come and watch environmental films, explore the hydraulic laboratories where they could discover different models of rivers, and much more.
The event also included the award ceremony of the Danube Art Master organised by the Bratislava Regional Conservation Association (BROZ) as the main sponsor of the competition. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Smatana, and the Director of the BROZ jointly presented the awards to the winners of the competition.

The following organisations were involved in the organisation of this year’s Danube Day festivities in Bratislava: Ministry of Environment SR, Water Research Institute, Water Management Construction, Slovak Water Management Enterprise, Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute, State Nature Conservation Agency, Slovak Environmental Agency, Public Ports, Slovak Mining Museum, Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology, Slovak Fishermen´s Association and Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

Find out more here:

Slovenia

On 29th June, Danube Day was celebrated in cooperation with the SIMONA project final event at the Slovenian Environment Agency. The findings of the successfully concluded Danube Transnational Programme, SIMONA Project - Sediment-quality Information, Monitoring and Assessment System were presented.

The Standard Sediment Quality Sampling Kit was symbolically handed over at the Slovenian Environment Agency, which is responsible for the monitoring of water in Slovenia. The partner institutions participating in the event happily welcomed the sampling equipment and reaffirmed their commitment to the Danube River, one that needs special attention for its water, but also sediment quantity and quality. The sustainable development of the Danube Basin is on top of our priorities when it comes to the future of our society.

Partners of the SIMONA Project and officials of the Slovenian Environment Agency were in attendance. The main goal of the event was to adopt uniform equipment that can serve for harmonized sediment sampling systems among Danube countries, in accordance with the recommendations of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).