River · Croatia, Slovenia
Sava
The Sava is the longest river of both Slovenia and Croatia, and it links their capitals on the way. It begins in the Julian Alps and joins the Danube at Belgrade.
Picture credit: Sharon Hahn Darlin (CC BY 2.0) · Unomano (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Unomano (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is the Sava?
The river starts here: Julian Alps in Slovenia.
It ends in the Danube at Belgrade.
Countries on the river: Croatia, Slovenia.
The story behind it
The Sava starts as two clear mountain streams that meet in Slovenia, which is why books sometimes count its length a little differently. Near its source the water is bright green over white pebbles; further on it grows wide, slow and brown. For a long stretch it is a border river, with one country on the left bank and another on the right, and bridges and ferries connect families on both sides. Between Zagreb and the lower valley lies Lonjsko Polje, a huge flood meadow where the river is allowed to spill over in spring. Storks nest on wooden houses there, herons stand in the shallow water, and old breeds of spotted pigs and horses graze among oak trees. Because the flood plain soaks up the water, towns downstream stay drier.
Questions children ask
How long is the Sava?
Which countries does the Sava flow through?
It is listed here for Slovenia and Croatia. On a long middle section it also forms a border, so one bank belongs to a neighbouring state.
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.
Last checked: