12 incredible lakes for a holiday in Europe

24.05.2024 - 14:41 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Garda

Europe's coastlines and astounding beaches may get all the attention as summer comes, but the continent's lakes should not be overlooked. Italy boasts glamorous, mountain-ringed waters, Croatia offers up saltwater sensations and England is home to moody pastoral scenes. Whether you want to swim, SUP, cycle or chill out on the beach, Europe has a lake for every kind of adventure.

We asked our expert writers to share their favorite lakes for a holiday in Europe — here are 12 of the best. 

Recommended by Daniel James Clarke 

Trentino's legendary Lake Garda and cloud-defying Dolomites need little introduction. But hidden between these headliners is unsung Valsugana, harboring its pair of pristine rivals. Lake Levico (Lago di Levico), the smaller of the two, is a fjord-like fantasy: narrow, squeaky-clean waters flanked by sloping pines. Motorized water sports are prohibited, meaning the Blue Flag beach – Levico is one of Europe's warmest lakes – and shore-tracking paths are soundtracked solely by birdsong. Embrace the stillness and go SUPing, gliding over mirror-like waters and sunken treasure – chests of sparkling Trentodoc wine mature twenty meters below. Meet the characterful brothers behind these aquatic vinos at Cantina Romanese for a scuba-free vineyard tasting.

Adrenaline needed? Cross to neighboring Lake Caldonazzo (Lago di Caldonazzo), where world champion Tomas Degasperi leads exhilarating waterski lessons. Back on dry land, iron-rich thermal spas, a stargazing observatory and the open-air forested sculpture gallery Arte Sella await. Then there's all the food. Pizza, pasta and gelato are a given – lakeside Gelateria Bellavista is sweet-tooth heaven – but don't overlook the regional Italian-Austrian flavors, such as canederli, cheese-stuffed bread dumplings. The best part? Unlike Italy's upscale, mansion-lined lakes, Valsugana's camping grounds, agriturismos (farm stays) and wellness resorts accommodate all budgets.

Recommended by Julia Buckley

It’s big enough to resemble the seaside, and is fringed by picture-perfect villages and dotted with archaeological sites: Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) is Italy in beautiful miniature. Its mild Mediterranean climate – the only one of Italy’s lakes to have one – means that fragrant lemon groves blossom by the shoreline, while hotels cling to the sunny cliffsides. There’s something for everyone here. Archaeology lovers will want to head to Sirmione, the snake-shaped peninsula jutting into the south of the lake, where there’s a Roman villa and spa on the waterfront; to go even further back in time, at the far north end, you’ll find the remains of 4,000-year-old huts at the tiny Lake Ledro, suspended in the mountains just behind the northwestern corner of Garda. 

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