Romance of Europe's rivers

MOHINDER SINGH

What the Ganges and the Indus are to the Indian subcontinent, the Rhine and the Danube are to Europe. The Ganges and the Indus begin from the same Himalayan range but fall into different seas - the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The Rhine and the Danube begin from the Alps, move in opposite directions and one falls into the North Sea and while the other into the Black Sea.

The Rhine is the busiest of all the world's waterways, with a 1,165 km of navigable stretch from Konstanz in Switzerland to Rotterdam - the greatest port on earth. Standing on the Rhine's banks near any German city, there's seldom a moment you do not see laden barges going swiftly downstream or chugging laboriously against the current. Boats sailing all the way pass beneath some 150 bridges and sail along six countries.

The Danube is sometimes a busy thoroughfare and sometimes runs lonely through desolate wastelands. Three hundred lesser rivers join it on its course and nine European countries stand on its banks.

In Vienna, the home of the blue Danube romance, the river is not as impressive. The river is at its best at Budapest. Big and brassy it flows, flanked by a great castle, imposing buildings, promenades, and a picturesque island in the middle.

Possibly the best way to enjoy the charm of Danube is to travel the 280 km stretch between Vienna and Budapest by hydrofoil. These comfortable, glass-enclosed boats do the trip in four-and-a-half hours, offering scenic views of incomparable beauty and variety. You swoosh exuberantly along the river, overtaking barges, past castles and monasteries, fishing- platforms and forests, industrial towns and wetlands.

Some of the great rivers of Europe - laden with legend and history can turn out pretty disappointing. When I saw the Tiber for the first time at Rome, I could not help exclaiming, "Oh, this is the Tiber!" - the river whose bridge Horatius guarded, the river immortalised by poets and painters. The Tiber, looked no more than a sluggish stream. And it was polluted.

And then the Thames as it strides through London. Nothing in Europe rivals the view at nighttime from any bridge spanning the river. There's the dazzle of the West End lights, the glow of the dome of St. Paul's, and the tower of the Big Ben.

And Europe has hundreds of bridges spanning its rivers. But the distinction of being the liveliest river crossing belongs to the Charles Bridge across the Vltava river at Prague. Built by Emperor Charles in the 14th century, the bridge has 16 massive stone arches, decorative statutory on top, and both ends guarded by towers. All vehicular traffic stands barred from it.

Pedestrians linger over the bridge for hours. From the bridge, visitors enjoy a tremendous vista: the spire-studded skyline, the famed Hradcany Castle, and the architectural wonders of city's riverfront buildings. The appeal of the Charles Bridge stays unmatched.

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