Morava (river)
The Morava (German: March, Hungarian: Morva) is a river in Central Europe. It is the most important river of Moravia, which derives its name from it. The river originates on the Králický Sněžník mountain in the northeastern corner of Pardubice Region, near the border between the Czech Republic and Poland and has a vaguely southern trajectory. The lower part of the river's course forms the border between the Czech Republic and Slovakia and then between Austria and Slovakia.
The lowlands formed by the river are the Upper Moravian Vale or Hornomoravský úval and then the Lower Moravian Vale or Dolnomoravský úval in Moravia, the Moravian Field or Marchfeld (the plain between the northeast of Vienna and the Morava river) in Lower Austria, and the Záhorie Lowland or Záhorská nížina (the plain between Moravia and Bratislava) in Slovakia.
The only major cities along the river are Olomouc in Moravia and the Slovak capital Bratislava. After approximately 354 km, the Morava flows into the Danube at Bratislava-Devín, with an average discharge rate of 120 m³/s. The Morava river is unusual in that it is a European blackwater river.
The river's most important tributary is the Thaya (in German) or Dyje (in Czech), flowing in the border area of Lower Austria and Moravia. Another tributary is the Myjava River, which flows into the Morava in Kúty.
The German name March means "border" (c.f. English march). The lower part of the river, downstream of the confluence with the Thaya at Hohenau an der March, marks the Austro-Slovakian border. This is one of the oldest national boundaries still extant in continental Europe; it was the eastern boundary of the March of Austria from the 11th century, and also marked the boundary of the Carolingian Empire with the Avar Khaganate during the 9th century (the March was within Habsburg territory during 1526–1918 due to the imperial expansion of Austria).
Read more about Morava (river): Gallery