ɪt stˈɑːɹts ɪnðə blˈæk fˈɔːɹɪst ɪn dʒˈɜːməni æz tˈuː smˈɔːlɚ ɹˈɪvɚz—ðə bɹˈɪɡætʃ ænd ðə bɹˈɛɡ—wˌɪtʃ dʒˈɔɪn æt dˈɑːnəˌɛskɪndʒən, ænd ɪɾ ɪz fɹʌm hˈɪɹ ðˌɐɾɪt ɪz nˈoʊn æz ðə dˈænuːb, flˈoʊɪŋ dʒˈɛnɚɹəli ˈiːstwɚdz fɚɹə dˈɪstəns ʌv sˌʌm , pˈæsɪŋ θɹuː sˈɛvɹəl sˈɛntɹəl ænd ˈiːstɚn jˌʊɹɹəpˈiən kˈæpɪɾəlz, bᵻfˌoːɹ ˈɛmptiɪŋ ˌɪntʊ ðə blˈæk sˈiː vˈaɪə ðə dˈænuːb dˈɛltə ɪn ɹoʊmˈeɪniə.
It starts in the Black Forest in Germany as two smaller rivers—the Brigach and the Breg—which join at Donaueschingen, and it is from here that it is known as the Danube, flowing generally eastwards for a distance of some , passing through several Central and Eastern European capitals, before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania.