Croatia

The young state of Croatia, which became fully independent only in 1991, can call just a short stretch-188 kilometers of Europe's second longest river its own, but the scenery is not any less enchanting. The Danube marks a large part of Croatia's eastern border with Serbia. In the broad expanse of the Baranja, an extension of the Great Hungarian Plain, the Danube enters Croatia from Hungary. It flows through fields, meadows and pastures bordered by primeval marshes, which are the home of many species of game. Famous as an area of swamps and marshes is Kopacki Rit, which is situated between the rivers Danube, Drava and the city of Osijek. It is a preserve for innumerable swamp birds, as well as pike, catfish, and pike-perch which thrive in the Danube's many side channels in a natural environment barely touched by man.