Hotel Ships Stranded on Hungarian Stretch of Danube Due to Low Water
- 29 Jul 2026 11:54 AM
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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