For today’s “Did You Know?” segment, our organization has chosen to tell you about the Elbe. But wait—we’re not talking about the island in the Tuscan Archipelago that once hosted a famous emperor in exile… No, today’s topic is related to your upcoming language trip to Germany that we’ll be discussing this legendary name.
A river that flows from the Czech Republic to Germany
The Elbe, which our organization has chosen to tell you about here as part of your language study trip to Germany, is the famous river of Central Europe. Although it is one of the most iconic rivers in Germany, it actually originates in the Czech Republic. In fact, it originates on the southern slope of the Giant Mountains, a range in the Sudetes.
The Elbe River, which is 1,100 kilometers long
Although the Elbe is called the Labe in Czech, you’ll need to pronounce it correctly Die Elbe during your language study trip to Germany! Indeed, it is largely within our German neighbors’ borders that the river flows. It stretches for about 1,100 km: in this respect, it surpasses the Weser and the Oder, though it does not match the lengths of the Danube and the Rhine.
From Dresden to Hamburg via… Stendal
At its mouth, the Elbe flows into the North Sea through a long estuary downstream from Hamburg, a city you may have the chance to explore on a future language study trip to Germany. However, Hamburg is not the only major city crossed by the Elbe—others include:
- Dresden, in the state of Saxony
- Magdeburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
The river also flows through the lesser-known town of Stendal, not far from Magdeburg. Does the name sound familiar? That’s no surprise: it’s the name adopted by the French writer Henri Beyle, better known as… Stendhal!