River · Czechia, Poland, Germany
Oder
The Oder begins in the mountains of Czechia, flows through Poland and forms part of the border between Poland and Germany. It ends in the Szczecin Lagoon, which opens into the Baltic Sea.
Picture credit: Grzegorz Kilian (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Eligiusz Jakimowicz (CC BY 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Oder?
The river starts here: Oder Mountains, Czechia.
It ends in the Szczecin Lagoon and on to the Baltic Sea.
Countries on the river: Czechia, Poland, Germany.
The story behind it
The Oder rises in the Oder Mountains in Czechia. Soon it crosses into Poland and flows past Wrocław, the largest city on the river. Further north, for 187 kilometres, the Oder forms the border between Poland and Germany, and the town of Frankfurt (Oder) lies on this stretch. It has been a border river since 1945. Near its end it passes Szczecin and flows into the Szczecin Lagoon, which is linked to the Baltic Sea. In the Lower Oder Valley National Park, the dikes are opened every November so that the meadows flood in winter. In spring the water is pumped out again. Beavers, otters and white-tailed eagles have come back, and cranes rest there on their long journeys. Since 2006, thousands of young Atlantic sturgeon have been released to bring this ancient fish back. The Oder can also flood badly, as in the great flood of July 1997.
Questions children ask
How long is the Oder?
The Oder is about 855 km long. Depending on how it is measured, sources give between about 840 and 866 km.
Which countries does the Oder flow through?
Which animals live along the Oder?
In the Lower Oder Valley National Park, beavers, otters and white-tailed eagles have returned, and cranes stop there on their journeys. Young Atlantic sturgeon are also released into the river.
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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