the Danube seepage

Mysterious stream

Anyone following the course of the still young Danube will rub their eyes in amazement in summer. Where the water was still flowing lively just a short while ago, only the dry riverbed can be found downstream. Between Immendingen and Möhringen as well as near Fridingen, the water disappears into the karstified rock at various points. The fish in the remaining pools are left behind. As if by magic, the Danube then reappears as if nothing had happened.

The seeped water finds its way through underground cave systems and resurfaces in the Aachtopf, around 12 kilometres away. However, unlike the Danube above ground, it does not flow eastwards into the Black Sea, but into the North Sea via the Rhine. This phenomenon is unique in the world.

On almost 200 days a year, the sinking sites are completely dry. Climate change is also evident here, with an increase in the number of days with complete seepage.