Low Danube Leaves Many Hotel Boats Stranded in Hungary
- 6 Aug 2026 8:42 AM
Eleven hotel boats are currently idling on the Hungarian section of the Danube due to low water levels, and the majority of cargo vessels are also at a standstill, the ministry of transport said on Wednesday.
The low water levels on the Danube are currently hampering the movement of vessels with greater draught, not only in Hungary but also along the river’s entire 2,412km navigable stretch, the ministry said in response to an inquiry by MTI.
For safety reasons, a distance of at least 10 centimetres must be maintained between the bottom of the vessel and the riverbed, it added.
Some cargo vessels can only navigate by significantly reducing their load; by 10–20 percent of their carrying capacity, it said.
The shipping authority is not restricting vessel traffic based on the water level, but the captain in charge may decide whether to proceed based on the published and current data, the ministry said.
According to earlier information from the ministry, as many as 15 hotel boats had been forced to wait on the Hungarian section of the Danube last Tuesday.
Earlier: Hotel Ships Stranded on Hungarian Stretch of Danube Due to Low Water
Around 15 hotel ships are stranded on the Danube's Hungarian section, with most cargo vessels also halted due to record-low water levels, the Transport and Investment Ministry said.
The shallow waters, affecting the entire 2,412km navigable stretch of the Danube, are forcing larger vessels to maintain at least 10cm of clearance between their hulls and the riverbed.
The authorities are regularly surveying the river and issuing notices on shallow spots where the level is below the usual 270cm depth, leaving captains to decide whether to proceed based on their ship's draft.
With no significant rainfall expected in the Danube or Tisza basins, a new heatwave is worsening conditions, keeping water levels stagnant or slowly receding.
The Danube in Budapest hit a record low of 31cm on Tuesday morning, breaking the previous 2018 record of 33cm, and fell further to 28cm by 5pm.
Some cargo ships can only move with extreme load reductions, operating at 10-20 percent of capacity, while others remain docked.
MTI Stock Photo
Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.
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