The 29-year-old won the final at the Bulgarian city’s Regatta Course with a time of 3 min 51.671sec.

Nearest challenger Martin Fuksa of Czech Republic clocked 3:53.667, while third-placed Kirill Shamshurin of Russia finished third in 3:55.171.

"It feels good," said Brendel, who is eagerly anticipating the World Championships in Czech village Račice from August 23 to 27.

"I am back on the course.

"I feel every good after some ups and downs in the World Cup this season.

"It feels great to be back and I look forward to the World Championships."

In the women’s K1 1,000m final, Hungary’s Dora Bodonyi crossed the finish line first in 3:57.984.

Poland’s Beata Mikolajczyk was the runner-up in 3:59.744, followed by Great Britain’s Rachel Cawthorn in 4:00.264.

There were no surprises in men’s K1 1,000m event with the same three athletes picking up the same medals they did at last year’s European Championships in Russia’s capital Moscow.

Portugal’s Fernando Pimenta won his fourth European title, and second in the men’s K1 1,000m, with a time of 3:29.032.

Reigning world champion René Holten Poulsen of Denmark finished second in 3:30.112 and Hungary’s Bálint Kopasz third in 3:30.336.

Hungary’s Reka Hagymasi and Ramona Farkasdi collected the gold medal in the women’s K2 1,000m event in 3:43.048.

Poland’s Karolina Markiewicz and Julia Lis took silver in 3:44.888, while Germany’s Tabea Medert and Melanie Gebhart came away with bronze in 3:45.652.

There was also success for Hungary in the women’s K4 500m final, which saw the quartet of Dora Lucz, Tamara Takacs, Erika Medveczky and Ninetta Vad defend the title won by an entirely different crew at the 2016 European Championships.

A time of 1:30.724 saw them beat Poland’s Dominika Wlodarczyk, Beata Mikolajczyk, Anna Pulawska and Katarzyna Kolodziejczyk, who came second in 1:31.596.

The bronze medal went to Ukraine’s Mariia Kichasova, Anastasiia Todorova, Mariya Povkh and Inna Hryshschun in 1:31.624.

Among the other winners today were Hungary’s Virag Balla and Kincso Takacs in the women’s C2 500m event.

Last year’s bronze medallists rose to the top of the podium with a time of 2:00.224.

Belarus’ Alena Nazdrova and Kamila Bobr were second in 2:01.364, while Russia’s Irina Andreeva and Olesia Romasenko came third in 2:03.928.

In the men’s C2 1,000m final, Germany’s Yul Oeltze and Peter Kretschner claimed victory with a time of 3:36.232.

Russia’s Viktor Melantyev and Vladislav Chebotar clinched silver in 3:37.300 and were followed in the standings by Italy’s Nicolae and Sergiu Craciun in 3:38.312.

Action also begun today at the European Para-canoe Championships with Britain the strongest performers courtesy of three gold medals.

Rio 2016 Paralympic champions Jeanette Chippington and Emma Wiggs won the respective women’s KL1 200m and KL2 200m events, while Jonathan Young came out on top in the men’s VL3 200m final.

Chippington prevailed with a time of 58.584 as Russia’s Alexandra Dupik was forced to settle for silver in 1:00.072.

Defending champion Edina Mueller of Germany secured the bronze medal in 1:01.908.

Wiggs, meanwhile, triumphed in 51.292 with fellow Briton Charlotte Henshaw second in 54.092.

Russia’s Nadezda Andreeva, last year’s gold medallist, finished third in 54.172.

In final event of the day, Young earned the men’s VL3 crown with a time of 49.336.

Russia’s Victor Potanin and Aleksei Egorov were the respective silver and bronze medallists with times of 52.192 and 53.840.

Action in Plovdiv is due to conclude tomorrow.