The Way of Water: 15 Great European Lakes To Discover

Countries across continental Europe, Scandinavia and the British Isles all have a long cultural and even spiritual relationship to their native lakes. Some have been vital sources of fresh water and fish for many generations, others have served as essential waterways for navigation, with communities built around their shores and legends rising from their depths.
 

Many lakes have become popular holiday destinations and hubs of recreational activity, though a growing awareness of their ecological fragility has also brought in all sorts of new protections. Indeed, some of Europe's loveliest lakes now have a "look but don't touch" policy that doesn't stop visitors hiking long distances just to see them. Here are some of the continent's best to add to your bucket list.

The glaciers of Scandinavia and the Nordic regions have created some truly impressive lakes and lagoons in some very icy environments, while the waters of the British Isles are the stuff of romantic poetry.

Finland has more lakes than any other country in Europe and Saimaa, in the southeast, is the largest but also perhaps the most mysterious – the water-scattered islands where the ancient tribes made their homes and painted the rock walls of Astuvansalmi. Today's inhabitants include the rare Saimaa ringed seal, which you can spot from an electric boat on a private safari.

Yes, this glacial lagoon was formed by the melting effects of climate change, which is obviously a worry, but the result is also generally regarded as a natural wonder. Just off Iceland's coastal Highway One, Jökulsárlón receives a steady inflow of seawater at high tide, resembling an alien world of dark liquid where vast structures of ice break the surface. Tour operators offer various ways to get out on that water:

• Tours by zippy zodiac dinghies get customers up close to the glacier itself.
• Sightseeing cruises in sturdier amphibian vessels sail right past the icebergs and even host tastings of 1,000-year-old ice.
• Paddling across the surface and around the bergs on sit-on-top kayaks, which are nice and secure for beginners, and the most eco-friendly way to go.

Loch Ness is much more famous for its elusive monster, but connoisseurs of Scottish waters will send you much further into the country's "last wilderness" to find Loch Hourn on a remote peninsula at the end of a 30-km single-track road in the Western Highlands. The saltwater lake itself is a spectacular habitat for otters and seals, with great opportunities for kayaking adventures and serious hikes. Indeed, a renowned trail along an old drover's path will lead you to mainland UK's remotest pub: The Old Forge in Knoydart.

Ireland has many lovely lakes, or loughs, especially in the wilder western regions – Connemara's Lough Inagh might be the most special. But Lough Tay, in Wicklow, is a real curiosity that's hard to resist. Featured in many movies and the popular TV show Vikings, it's also known as "Guinness Lake" – in part because it was owned by the family behind the iconic Irish beer, but also because it looks like a pint of the black stuff, with dramatically dark water lapping at a shore of imported white sand. Public access is limited but there are rewarding views from surrounding paths linked to the Wicklow Trail.

Originally known as Llyn Syfaddan, Llangorse has Wales's only crannog at its centre – an ancient Celtic tribal island fort. The lake is steeped in related folklore, and said to harbour a fearsome monster called an afanc, though it's notably welcoming these days as part of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park. Fishing is not permitted from the banks but you can hire a boat and row offshore to catch pike, bream and perch.

This list wouldn't be complete without the region in northwest England named for its many lakes. It's a little harder to recommend just one of the tarns, meres or waters that comprise the district (only one, Bassenthwaite, is officially named as a lake). Each offers a different atmosphere, and many visitors are swayed by the prettiness of neighbouring villages.

• Ullswater is said to be where The Lady of the Lake returned the sword Excalibur to King Arthur, and an air of history and mystery lingers from real battles fought around the shore.
• Grasmere draws lovers of literature in the footsteps of poet William Wordsworth, who lived nearby and called it "the loveliest spot that man hath found".
• Rydal Water is one of the smallest and most secret pockets of the region, accessed by a wonderful walking trail and ideal for wild swimming in solitude. There's a cave to explore right beside it too.

Toward the warmer latitudes of the continent, lakes become especially life-sustaining in summer as a means of cooling off, and the water takes on a poignant gleam under hard southern sunlight.

The Iberian peninsula has a reputation for dusty dryness, but the rain-watered northern ranges of "Green Spain" can be very wet indeed. Asturias rises from the Bay of Biscay to the Picos de Europa mountains, where two neighbouring glacial lakes, Enol and Ercina, form deep blue pools in a landscape so alpine that the pastures echo with the sound of cowbells. Stages of La Vuelta, one of the world's great cycling races, are often held around these lakes, and the ribbonlike roadways make perfect cross-country holiday routes for experienced riders.
 

Looking for a base in the area? It's less than 100 km to regional capital Oviedo, where ibis Oviedo gives you affordable comfort and easy access to the city's historic attractions and lush surrounding countryside.

Straddling the border between two republics, this celestial blue lake is among the oldest and deepest in Europe, and one of its greatest swimming spots. The shoreline is marked by Byzantine churches, while the waters have been isolated for long enough to breed rare and ancient endemic species of bird, fish and mollusc. The beaches are fantastic too:

• Saraiste Beach is closest to the town of Ohrid itself, with a landmark boardwalk and nice taverns.
• Potpesh Beach, to the east, is small and busy but if you can get a deck chair it's a lovely spot.
• At Kaneo Beach you can admire the Church of Saint John the Theologian from the water.

Set within a vast forested nature reserve along a dreamlike limestone canyon, this sequence of terraced pools sets the beauty standard for European lakes. The surrounding infrastructure manages ever-growing visitor numbers very well across a network of paths and viewing platforms, and the vivid colours create a longing that can't be satisfied by jumping in – swimming is prohibited. But there are plenty of options for plunging into this scenery nearby, along the Korana and Mrežnica rivers.

The great mountain ranges of the continent run westward across the interior, with the Alps in particular crossing eight national borders and creating magnificent lakes all the way.

Among the highest in Germany's Bavarian Alps at an elevation of over 1,800 m, Schrecksee is also one of the hardest to get to, and can only be reached on foot by a tough walking trail into a natural amphitheatre of looming mountains. The name, indeed, means "Fear Lake" – a reference to the ominous peaks over the crystal blue surface. You can swim out to the small island in the middle, but the altitude keeps the water temperature close to freezing all year, and the lake is often shrouded in fog.

Switzerland is home to an abundance of magnificent Central European lakes. Geneva has its own famous namesake lake of course, stretching over some 70 km that encompass the UNESCO-protected Lavaux Vineyard Terraces. But Caumasee is Swiss Alpine culture distilled into a single body of turquoise water, which is sourced from warm springs and therefore much more comfortable for swimming than the other lakes of the region. Activities and amenities are typically well organised around the official bathing beach, though wilder adventures are also possible within the thick surrounding forest of Flims.

• Admission to the lido at Bogn La Cauma costs CHF 18 (€20) per day for non-Swiss visitors (CHF 9, or €10, for kids under 16).
• Scenic restaurant Ustria La Cauma is accessed by a free cable lift that operates from 8am in summer and 10am in winter.
• Pedal boats and stand-up paddleboards (SUP) are available to hire for exploring the lake and its central island.
• Use of the beach volleyball court is included in your lido admission, but demand is high in summer.
• Mercure Chur City West is only 22 km from the lake and handily located right by the motorway in Switzerland's oldest city.

Annecy is the ideal family-friendly European lake. The shoreline is ringed with well-maintained beaches where lifeguard stations, shallow entry points and shaded grassy banks make for perfect summer days of swimming and picnicking. A mostly flat cycle route, the Voie Verte, runs 40 km around the lakeshore, and all around lies the best of provincial France: medieval villages overlooked by landmarks like the hilltop Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard, with rustic restaurants serving freshwater fish dishes.

The Balkans and neighbouring regions are generally lesser-visited than other parts of Europe, which increases your chances of having a stretch of glorious lakeshore all to yourself.

Seven tarns, or glacial lakes, pour into each other like a stacking set of geological bowls, some 2,500 m up Rila Mountain. Each has a name related to its shape or some other defining characteristic – "The Eye", "The Tear" etc – and the surfaces are frozen over for much of the year. Swimming is prohibited in any case, but you can soak up a lifetime's worth of eerie beauty just following the streams and falls to one lake after another.
 

Keen to discover the cultural highlights of the Bulgarian capital as well? Mercure Sofia City is less than 100 km away from the base of the chairlift station in Panichishte, the gateway to the Rila Lakes.

It's a short, easy hike to this glowing Eastern European lake in Romania's Cheile Nerei-Beușnița National Park, but it can feel longer – in a good way – with so much to see en route, including waterfalls at Beușnița and La Văioaga. The lake itself is oval shaped and crystal clear, with native trout gliding over vivid underwater vegetation. Fishing is prohibited, but you can catch tasty freshwater morsels in select areas of the nearby Bei and Nera rivers (or buy from trout farms and restaurants a short walk away).

Lake Bled is perhaps more familiar to visitors with its iconic island and medieval castle, but Bohinj is wilder and deeper within nearby Triglav National Park. Among the largest of European glacial lakes, its colours shift with the light from emerald to cerulean, and its waters become a reflecting pool below the peaks of the Julian Alps. It's prime country for swimming, kayaking, fishing and hiking the Juliana Trail, while abiding mountain traditions include an annual Cheese Festival.

As you can see, European lakes can mark the start or end points of a grand hiking or kayaking trip, but it's also possible to build an entire holiday around the activities and attractions of their shorelines. Searching for more waterfront inspo? Check out these suggestions for adventure along Berlin's Spree River.