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The most beautiful Italian lakes: we can’t get enough of them
The major lakes in northern Italy are now widely known. Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Idro, and Lake Maggiore are very popular with Dutch and Belgian vacationers. The surrounding natural scenery is also often breathtaking. These “busier” lakes are becoming increasingly appealing to visit outside the peak season: fewer crowds and pleasant temperatures. Moreover, they’re all surrounded by beautiful natural scenery perfect for hiking or biking.
Top 19 Italian Lakes
In addition to these better-known lakes, Italy also has many lesser-known and smaller lakes. In total, Italy has as many as 1,500(!) lakes. Most are located in the mountainous north of Italy, but you’ll also find beautiful lakes in central and southern Italy. You’ll find their locations at the bottom of the map. Here, we’ve listed the Italian lakes we find most beautiful. As we write this blog, we keep coming across more and more interesting lakes, so stay tuned for updates!
Lake Garda
Italy’s largest lake, with no fewer than 150 kilometers of beach. Lake Garda spans three regions: Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino. The southern part is very popular with Dutch vacationers. However, the north, northeast, and northwest are also well worth a visit. And finally, the bike path around Lake Garda is (almost) completely finished. It’s a fantastic ride around the lake, with a spectacular route near Limone del Garda.
Tip: Lake Garda
Monte Baldo Cable Car in Malcesine
Valeggio sul Mincio, a small village south of Lake Garda with a river running right through the medieval village. Beautiful natural surroundings and excellent wineries in the area
Lake Tenno
Just a quarter of an hour from Lake Garda, you’ll find this beautiful, quieter mountain lake. Borgo di Canale di Tenno is also one of Italy’s most beautiful borghi. You can go on wonderful hikes around the lake, such as the 5-kilometer hike to Rifugio San Pietro.
Lake Iseo
A beautiful lake to cycle around (takes about 3 to 4 hours). By car, you can do it in 2 hours. Monte Isola, the largest inhabited island in a lake in Europe, is open to visitors year-round; unfortunately, the two smaller islands are not.
Tip: Lake Iseo
Lovere: a member of the club of Italy’s most beautiful villages
The Antica Strada Valeriana: this medieval pilgrimage route winds along the lake’s eastern shore and is a beautiful 24-kilometer hike. It is well marked with yellow and brown V’s
Riva di Solto: a romantic medieval village featuring l’Orrido del Bogn—spectacular overhanging cliffs near a cove. Accessible on foot from Riva di Solto toward Lovere.
Lake Orta
Orta San Giulia is a great starting point for exploring this beautiful lake. A walk along the western shore of the lake is also well worth the effort, as it offers a completely different view of San Giulio Island. Sacro Monte di Orta, one of the nine sacred mountains in Piedmont and Lombardy, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a beautiful and challenging hike from Orta San Giulia to the chapel on the mountain—highly recommended.
Lake Maggiore
A beautiful lake with charming villages and the Borromean Islands in the center. Isola Bella, Isola Madre, and Isola dei Pescatori are definitely worth a visit. Santa Caterina del Sasso, with a history dating back to the 12th century and known from many photos of Lake Maggiore, is now a monastery and open to visitors.
Lake Carezza, also known as Karersee
This mountain lake in the Val d’Ega in South Tyrol is a beautiful hiking area in every season. From the central parking lot, you can take several well-marked hikes suitable for all skill levels. The lake is accessible by car or bus, but for serious hikers, it’s fairly easy to reach from Nova Levante via Sentiero 10A on a 10-kilometer hike.
Lake Como
It is better known in northern Italy for its charming villages, such as Bellagio, and its beautiful villas with equally beautiful gardens. Click here for more information about Lake Como.
Lake Idro
Traditionally a well-known lake for surfing and water sports among the Dutch. A beautiful lake with many monasteries in the surrounding area, such as the Monastero di San Bartolomeo in Serle and, of course, the Rocca d’Anfo: an impressive, historic military fortress. Accessible on foot via two routes.
More from Arpy
This lake in the Aosta Valley is a beautiful spot and, what’s more, easily accessible on foot in about 40 minutes. The hike there and the views of the surrounding mountains are stunning.
Lake Federa
This beautiful lake is located near Cortina d’Ampezzo. It is accessible only on foot, via various trails. From a small lake, Lago Pianozes, it can be reached via a stunning hiking trail through forests and past waterfalls and streams. The lake is a favorite among photographers in the fall because of the colorful leaves on the surrounding trees.
Lake Sorapis
One of the most impressive lakes in the Dolomites thanks to its clear blue water. It is located about 12 kilometers from Cortina d’Ampezzo at an elevation of 1,925 meters. Its distinctive blue color is due to the shape of the rocks from the glacier that feeds the lake. The sediment that settles on the bottom gives the lake its unique azure-blue color. At the end of each summer, the lake dries up but never completely disappears.
You can reach the lake from Passo Tre Croci via Trail 215. It’s best to set out early. The round-trip hike to the lake takes about 4 hours in total. The hike is of moderate difficulty. A more challenging and longer route follows trails 213 and 216.
Lake Molveno
This stunning, natural mountain lake is located in a beautiful area perfect for mountain bikers and hikers. Nestled in the Adamello Brenta Nature Park, it’s a popular lake among Italians themselves. From the village of Molveno , you can go on many hikes or take a ride on the cable car.
Lake Resia – Reschenmeer
This reservoir in South Tyrol lies at an altitude of about 1,500 meters. When a dam was built in the 1950s, the village of Graun and a large part of Reschen were submerged. The church tower of Alt Graun, still standing above the water, serves as a reminder of this. Due to low water levels, even more of the submerged village has recently become visible. A wonderful area for hiking and biking amidst stunning natural scenery.
Lake Braies
It’s very well known for its many Instagrammable spots… You can walk around the lake in about 1.5 hours. Of course, the best photos are taken in the early morning or early evening. You can drive fairly close to the lake, but during peak season you’ll need to reserve a (paid) parking spot online. You can also reach the lake by navetta.
This lake is located in Belluno in the Dolomites in northern Italy. It is near Lago di Misurina. These two lakes are about five minutes apart, and both are notable for the fact that the Tre Cime of the Dolomites are reflected in their waters. From Lake Antorno, you can hike to Monte Piano via Sentiero 122. You can also hike to the Tre Cime from the lake. To do so, follow the signs for Sentiero 101, which lead to Rifugio Auronzo near the Tre Cime. This hike has an elevation gain of approximately 500 meters. Both lakes are also accessible by car.
TIP: Visit on a clear day to see the reflection in the water
Lake Trasimeno
Lake Trasimeno in Umbria is a favorite among Dutch travelers. The rich culture of the surrounding area and its proximity to cultural cities like Assisi and Perugia make it a popular lakeside destination. What’s more, it’s easy to combine with a trip to Tuscany. Depending on the season, you can swim in the lake, and a visit to Isola La Polvese is definitely worth it. There are many campgrounds and hotels around the lake.
Lake Bracciano
This beautiful lake is located in Lazio, about 30 kilometers from Rome. Originally a volcanic lake, we find it an ideal base for a trip that combines a visit to Rome. In just an hour, you can reach the heart of the capital by train. In addition to the three historic borghi surrounding the lake (Bracciano, Anguillara, and Sabazia), Bracciano boasts a magnificent castle, Castello Odescalchi, and a waterfall worth visiting, the Cascata di Castel Giuliano. From Castel Giuliano, it’s a walk of about 5 kilometers through stunning natural scenery.
Another tip for Bracciano: Trevignano Romano, a small town on the northern shore of the lake
Monticchio Lakes
In the very south of Italy, you’ll find these two lakes at the foot of an extinct volcano. The smaller lake—Lago Piccolo—is the most popular. The larger lake is surrounded by a beautiful forest and is home to a moth species found nowhere else in Europe. Click here to learn more about the Laghi di Monticchio in Basilicata.
Lake Venere
On Pantelleria, an island southwest of Sicily, you’ll find Lago di Venere. It’s a surprisingly azure-blue lake on this island. It lies within the crater of an extinct volcano. The lake is fed by (warm) thermal water, and Italians use it for mud baths as a spa. It’s not crowded and is beautifully situated. But you do have to be in the area…
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
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Peloponnese Hiking Tour
A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
In September, I walked the Cammino Materano. Communicating with Madelon about the booking was a pleasure. To be honest, I was quite nervous because it was my first time doing a multi-day hike—alone and in a region I wasn’t familiar with—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike to Matera was beautiful, and I was able to complete it without any trouble thanks to the clear on-site signage and the routing and advice provided by the GPS app. The rest of the organization was top-notch as well. My luggage always arrived on time at the right destination, and the hotels and B&Bs were of high quality. In addition, the organizers were easy to reach via WhatsApp if I had any questions. Highly recommended!
Slovenia was absolutely amazing. A beautiful country, friendly people, lovely hiking trails, and truly top-notch hotels. The staff at the local organization were also very easy to reach and helpful. The hiking was manageable. As Dutch people, we’re not used to high altitudes, of course, so it was pretty tough at times. But it was also a lot of fun.
We had a wonderful trip. Everything was well organized. Due to an unfortunate fall, I ended up traveling with my luggage for a day, but that was handled well, too. We really liked all the accommodations. Only the Hotel Hebe in St. Piero a Sieve was a little less impressive, but it was still okay.
Looks fantastic! I'm definitely going to book a trip with this company... they're committed to sustainability and personalized advice. Definitely worth it.
Madelon and her team are true experts. Thanks to their years of experience and passion for travel, they manage to surprise us time and time again.
Beautiful hikes, the most picturesque spots—it’s a real treat.
I highly recommend them!
Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
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Get inspired
Are you looking for the most beautiful hiking and biking routes? Or do you want information about traveling by train or advice for the most beautiful road trips through nature. Get inspired for your next trip in green; ideas for planning your own trip or opting for an organized trip.
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