Elbe River Size report

A European river is not as famous as the Volga, Danube, and Rhine, but it is called "the heart of Europe." It is the Elbe River. The Elbe River is one of the main waterways in Central Europe. Via the Elbe River and the shipping channels it connects, large ships can sail from Hamburg to Berlin, to the middle and southern parts of eastern Germany, and the Czech Republic.

The Elbe River originates at the southern foot of the Karkonosze Mountains near the border between the Czech Republic and Poland, passes through Bohemia in the northwest of the Czech Republic, and enters Germany 40 kilometers southeast of Dresden. The last city that the Elbe River flows through in Germany is also the largest and most famous city, Hamburg, the largest port in Germany. In the east, it empties into the North Sea in Cuxhaven, Lower Saxony.

Famous tributaries on the left bank of the Elbe are the Vltava, Ohre, Mulder, and Saale Rivers, and on the right bank are the Iser, Schwarzer Elster, Havel, etc. The Vltava River is the largest tributary of the Elbe River. It is 430 kilometers long, the basin area is 28,000 square kilometers, the annual average flow is 145 cubic meters per second, and the runoff is 4.57 billion cubic meters. The following post will introduce more details about Elbe River.

Elbe River Size and Description

The Elbe River originates from the Karkonosze Mountains in the Czech Republic. This section of the river is called the Labe River in the Czech Republic. It flows through Germany and then flows into the North Sea. The Elbe River runs upstream from its source to Dresden in Germany. In the mountains, the river is fast-moving and formed by the confluence of many small tributaries. When approaching the German-Czech border, the river is 140 meters wide and then enters the plains of Germany; the river is 430 meters wide. Hamburg starts from the lower reaches of the Elbe River, 14.5 kilometers wide, and sea ships can pass through the wide river to reach Hamburg directly.

Length and Basin Area of Elbe River

The Elbe River is about 1,165 kilometers long, about one-third of which flows through the Czech Republic and two-thirds through Germany. The total area of the basin is 144,060 square kilometers. The flow of Elbe water varies greatly depending on the precipitation and snowmelt in the catchment basin. In Dresden, the average discharge is 317 cubic meters per second; in Neudalschau, about 225 kilometers above the estuary, the average discharge is 699 cubic meters per second. The annual average flow at the estuary is 870 cubic meters per second.

Conclusion

The Labe River in the Czech Republic, that is, the upper reaches of the Elbe River, has a large water flow because of its high terrain, which is conducive to hydropower construction. The Elbe River in Germany most flows through plains, and the terrain is relatively flat. For Germany, the Elbe River is more used for transportation, connecting the German mainland with the North Sea. The Elbe River is one of Europe's main and most scenic rivers. There are many cruises on this river all year round, allowing people to enjoy the urban and rural landscape along the Elbe.