River · Ukraine, Moldova
Dniester
The Dniester rises in the Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine and flows south-east to the Black Sea near Odesa. It is the second-longest river in Ukraine and the most important river of Moldova.
Picture credit: Mykola Swarnyk (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Анатолий Зубанюк (CC BY 3.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Dniester?
The river starts here: Carpathian Mountains near the village of Vovche, Ukraine.
It ends in the Black Sea (Dniester Estuary) near Odesa.
Countries on the river: Ukraine, Moldova.
The story behind it
The Dniester starts about 900 metres high in the forests of the Carpathians. Further on it winds through a canyon up to 160 metres deep, which is protected as a natural monument. Castles stand on its banks: Khotyn Fortress in Ukraine has walls up to 40 metres tall and has appeared in many adventure films, and the round Soroca Fortress in Moldova was first built in 1499 by Prince Stephen the Great to guard a place where people crossed the river. In some places the Dniester forms the border between Ukraine and Moldova. The ancient Greeks called it Tyras, from an old Scythian word for 'rapid'. Thousands of years ago, some of the world's first large farming villages grew up in this region. In winter the river usually freezes for about two months. Near Odesa it widens into a lagoon about 40 kilometres long before it reaches the Black Sea.
Questions children ask
How long is the Dniester?
The Dniester is about 1 352 km long; some sources give 1 362 km. That makes it the second-longest river in Ukraine.
Which countries does the Dniester flow through?
The Dniester flows through Ukraine and Moldova, and in some places it forms the border between them. In Moldova it separates the main part of the country from the region of Transnistria.
Which castles stand on the Dniester?
Khotyn Fortress in Ukraine rises on the right bank with walls up to 40 metres tall. Soroca Fortress in Moldova was rebuilt in stone in the 1540s as a perfect circle with five bastions.
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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