Our TOP 10 column is back , leading you to discover the most beautiful places and the most particular curiosities in the world. This week, always spoiled for choice, we present the 10 most beautiful lakes in the world (in our opinion).
1. Lake of Braies (Italy)
Allow us this little “motion of pride”, but for us in the first place there is an Italian naturalistic beauty, Lake Braies, in the province of Bolzano. A wonder that the whole world envies us. Its turquoise waters with green shades, in which the peaks of the Dolomites are reflected, have made it one of the favorite destinations of tourists from all over the globe, even more so since it was chosen as the backdrop for the very popular fiction “A step from the sky”. Located at 1496 meters above sea level, it extends for 33 hectares at the foot of the rocky wall of the Croda del Becco and is located in the equally splendid Fanes-Sennes and Braies Natural Park. With a maximum depth of 36 meters, it is also one of the deepest lakes in the province of Bolzano.
2. Five Flower Lake (China)
In second place is Wu Hua Hai, the “Lake of Five Flowers” , which is located in the Jiuzgaigou National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in China. Visited every day by thousands of tourists, it is an almost magical place, to which many legends are linked.Part of its fairytale dimension is due to the fact that its waters, unlike those of nearby lakes, never freeze. Its characteristic is to have water so transparent that you can see the rocks below and the fallen trees. But its peculiarity is to reflect the thousand colors of the trees and the surrounding landscape, creating unique chromatic effects in the world in all seasons. The most spectacular is autumn, when the lake is colored with shades ranging from yellow to orange to red.
3. Lake Titicaca (Peru – Bolivia)
Third place for Lake Titicac, which extends in the southeast of Peru, on the border with Bolivia. It is the highest navigable lake in the world. It is located, in fact, in the Andes, at 3812 meters above sea level and with its 8330 square km it is the 18th largest lake in the world. Its waters are so clear that it makes the mountains that surround it seem very close, when in reality they are 30 km away. The history of the Inca civilization is linked to the lake. According to legend, the god Virachocha emerged from its waters and created the sun, the stars and the first kings. The ruins of the ancient pre-Columbian civilization can still be seen in the area around the lake and on the island of Amantani.Here there are also six villages whose inhabitants still speak the Quechua language, the original Inca language. On the lake there are also the floating islands of the Uros , built on huge rafts made of very strong reeds. There are about 40 of them and they can be visited to learn about the lifestyle of this extraordinary people.
4. Plitvice Lakes (Croatia)
The wonderful Plitvice Lakes, in Croatia, which are located within the homonymous National Park, the largest in the country and the oldest in Eastern Europe, also enter the TOP 10 by right . The complex consists of 16 lakes of rare beauty , formed by two rivers, the White River and the Black River, which flow into the Korana River. The lakes are connected to each other by water features and waterfalls and their transparent waters are particularly rich in calcareous salts, such as calcium carbonate and carbonate of magnesia, which give them incredible colors, which change depending on the time of day. They have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
5. Lago Hillier (Australia)
So beautiful and strange that it seems like a joke from… Photoshop! Instead, Lake Hillier, located on Middle Island , the largest of the Recherche archipelago, south of Western Australia, truly has pink waters! A deep pink that makes it look like a giant bubble gum emerging from the vegetation of eucalyptus and paperbark. 600 meters long and surrounded by a ring of sand, which separates it from the blue of the Southern Ocean, it still hides many secrets. First of all the one linked to its unusual color. In fact, no scientist has yet managed to understand exactly why its waters are pink. Although many speculate that it is because of the bacteria that live in the salt crusts.
6. Kelimutu volcano lakes (Indonesia)
The crater of the Kelimutu volcano, on the island of Flores , Indonesia, is home to three magnificent lakes, each with a different name and characteristics, which change color thanks to the volcanic minerals present in their waters. The difference in color is also due to the volcanic activity that develops in the seabed, from where gases and vapors emerge. This phenomenon, called “upwelling” means that you never know what color the three lakes are every time you admire them. A local legend is also linked to them. It is said, in fact, that the lakes are the seat of the afterlife and that the souls of the dead immerse themselves here. In Tiwu Ata Mbupu , the darkest lake, immerse the souls of the elderly and fathers of families who have died after a righteous life. The Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai,the turquoise lake, there are the spirits of those who died young, while in the Tiwu Ata Polo , which varies from olive green to blood red, there are the spirits of those who have committed crimes and evil deeds.
7. Lago Baikal (Siberia)
Located in southern Siberia, Lake Baikal is the oldest lake on the planet . From a geological point of view, in fact, it was formed 25 million years ago following a split in the continental crust. It is also the deepest lake in the world , with a maximum depth at the center of 1186 meters below sea level. Inside, then, there is about 23% of the fresh water present on our planet. Its waters freeze in late December and the ice layer is so thick that cars and vans can pass. Since 1996 it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the seven wonders of Russia.
8. Spotted Lake (British Columbia – Canada)
A wonderful rarity in which Nature has given the best of itself. Spotted Lake is located in British Columbia , Canada and is visited by thousands of visitors every year. Its incredible feature is only the colored spots that form on its surface and that only the result of the concentration of different minerals present in its waters, including magnesium sulfate, silver, sodium, calcium and titanium. The best time of the year to admire it in all its beauty is summer, when the water evaporates and the spots are more evident. Not only that, the magnesium sulphate tends to crystallize and form natural walkways on which to walk to admire the lake up close.
9. Lake Sørvágsvatn (Isole Fær Øer – Denmark)
Ninth position for Lake Sørvágsvatn, in the Faroe Islands, a splendid archipelago of 18 volcanic islands located between Iceland and Norway, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The lake is famous all over the world for its extraordinary geographical position. It is located, in fact, close to a precipice overlooking the sea, giving the impression that the lake itself is thrown into the ocean. In reality, the vertical distance is about 30 meters. In some points, then, the cliff exceeds one hundred meters and offers a breathtaking panoramic view.
10. Lake Tekapo (New Zealand)
Our TOP 10 closes with Lake Tekapo, in New Zealand , considered one of the most romantic places on the planet. It is located in the south of the Canterbury region , at the foot of Mount Cook, the highest in the country. Its waters are of an incredible turquoise color, thanks to the frozen bottom of the basin on which it lies, in the McKenzie basin, 700 meters above sea level. The lake is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and multicolored blooms that are reflected in its waters.
