River · Russia, Belarus, Latvia
Daugava
The Daugava, also called the Western Dvina, starts in the Valdai Hills in Russia. It flows through Belarus and Latvia and ends in the Gulf of Riga on the Baltic Sea, right next to Latvia's capital, Riga.
Picture credit: Alex Zelenko (CC BY-SA 4.0) · ogre11 (CC BY 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Daugava?
The river starts here: Valdai Hills, Tver Oblast, Russia.
It ends in the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea) near Riga, Latvia.
Countries on the river: Russia, Belarus, Latvia.
The story behind it
More than a thousand years ago, Viking sailors crossed the Baltic Sea and travelled up the Daugava deep into the land. Later, merchants used the river as part of a great trade route and carried furs from the north and silver from the south. On its way to the sea the river passes old cities such as Vitebsk and Polotsk in Belarus and Daugavpils in Latvia. Its last big city is Riga, whose centre lies about 15 kilometres from the mouth and which has an important port. In Latvia three dams hold back the water to make electricity. The largest is Pļaviņas, the biggest hydroelectric power station in the Baltic states. Its lake flooded a famous 18-metre cliff called Staburags. A legend says the cliff was once a sad girl who turned to stone. Since 1965 it has rested 6.5 metres under the water.
Questions children ask
How long is the Daugava?
The Daugava is about 1 020 km long. Depending on how it is measured, some sources give about 1 005 km.
Which countries does the Daugava flow through?
Who travelled on the Daugava long ago?
Vikings sailed up the river from the Baltic Sea more than a thousand years ago. Later, traders used it to carry furs and silver.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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