The longest river in Europe and the national river of Russia, draining into the landlocked Caspian.
Length
3,530 km
Source
Valdai Hills, Russia
Mouth
Caspian Sea
Continent
Europe
Countries
Russia
Did you know?
The Volga is the longest river in Europe and carries about half of all Russian river freight.
Little-known fact
It does not reach any ocean — it empties into the Caspian Sea, the largest enclosed body of water on Earth.
Highlights
- Longest river in Europe
- Russia's national river
- Flows to the landlocked Caspian
Life in the Volga
The fish and animals, waterbirds and water plants — including some of the rarest — that this water supports.
Animals & fish
Beluga sturgeon
A giant armoured fish that can live over 100 years and yields the world’s most prized caviar.
Wels catfish
A monstrous European catfish that can top 2.5 m and has learned to beach itself to catch pigeons.
Northern pike
A long, torpedo-shaped ambush predator that lurks among weeds across the cool rivers and lakes of the north.
Eurasian otter
A sleek, playful hunter whose return to a river is a sign the water has run clean again.
Waterbirds
Common kingfisher
A dazzling blue-and-orange dart that plunges from a perch to spear fish in an instant.
Mute swan
The great white swan of European waters, gliding in pairs that often mate for life.
Water plants & reeds
Common reed
The tall, feathery grass that forms the vast reedbeds fringing rivers and lakes, sheltering countless birds.
Interactive · 3D journey
Journey of a river · source → sea
Every river runs the same great journey — from an icy mountain spring, down through gorges and looping meanders, to a wide delta where it meets the sea. Tap a stage to follow the water downstream.
Tip: hover to tilt the valley · tap a stage to float downstream
The Source
Every river begins high up — in a mountain spring, a melting glacier or a boggy upland. The water is cold, clear and fast, tumbling down the steepest ground of its whole journey.
Landforms here