(Germ. Weichsel), a large river of Europe, rises at the foot of a branch of the Carpathians, near the borders of Moravia, Galicia, and Hungary, and 20 miles south-east of Teschen, and not far from the source of the Oder. Its course is northwards for about 40 miles, but on reaching the Prussian frontier it turns to the north-east, flows past Cracow, and forms the boundary between the Austrian and Russian empires as far as Sandomir. From that point its direction is north and north-west through Poland, as far as Warsaw; then more to the west, until it enters the Prussian territory, a short distance above Thorn. Some distance below this it turns to the north, and flows in that direction to the Baltic, into which the main stream discharges itself below Dantzig, after sending off two branches, the Nogat and the Old Vistula, into the Frische Haff. The whole length of the Vistula is about 550 miles; it is navigable as far as Cracow, and is connected by a canal with the Oder. Its affluents are very numerous, the most important being on the right, the Save from Galicia and the Bug from Russia; and, on the left, the Pilica from Poland and the Netze from Prussia.