Azzate
Lake Varese: a charming place
Hello friends! Are you ready to discover a magical place? Today I will talk about Lake Varese, located at the foot of the Varesine Prealps, which will surprise us with its shoe-shaped form and its charming landscape. With an area of 14.8 km², the lake is the tenth largest entirely within national borders and the twelfth overall.
The formation of Lake Varese
Lake Varese has a very ancient history. It dates back to about 15,000 years ago, at the same time as the birth of nearby Lake Maggiore, when the retreat of the glacier of Lake Maggiore created the large basin where the lake is now located. And to think that at the time it had a much larger surface area and included much of the surrounding lakes!
The geography of Lake Varese
Lake Varese, which reaches an altitude of 238 m, bathes nine municipalities in the province of Varese: Varese, Azzate, Bardello with Malgesso and Bregano, Biandronno, Bodio Lomnago, Buguggiate, Galliate Lombardo, Cazzago Brabbia and Gavirate. The latter, Varese, bought a good part of the shores only in the 1920s when it became the capital of the province, but the lake was formerly known as Lake Gavirate.
Activities on Lake Varese
Lake Varese is a place of great charm and an important tourist attraction. The Canottieri Varese and, starting from 1960, the Canottieri Gavirate are based on the lake, which organize national and international rowing events. Moreover, those who love outdoor activities such as fishing, cycling, and water sports can find an ideal environment for the practice of their passions.
Isolino Virginia: the treasure of Biandronno
Have you ever heard of an enchanted place, an island full of charm that makes you dream that the perfect world of ancient stories still exists, full of love? Then you must visit Isolino Virginia, in the municipality of Biandronno. This small island is the most interesting site on Lake Varese. It changed its name several times: originally called San Biagio Island, it then became Donna Camilla Litta Island until 1878 when its last owner, Andrea Ponti, the industrialist from Gallarate, named it Isolino Virginia in honor of his wife Virginia Pigna, a name it still bears.
Thanks to numerous archaeological finds, Lake Varese has become, together with Lake Monate, one of the most important UNESCO sites in the world among the "Prehistoric pile-dwelling sites in the Alpine arc."
The waters of Lake Varese
Dear friends, are you ready for some great news? After 60 years of being not suitable for bathing, Lake Varese has become suitable for swimming again, experimentally, on the beaches of Schiranna di Varese and Bodio Lomnago, starting from July 2, 2022. This was made possible thanks to interventions aimed at restoring the waters carried out by the municipalities that overlook its shores, the province of Varese, and the Lombardy region.
The fauna and flora of Lake Varese
Finally, I would like to talk about the fauna and flora of Lake Varese. The lake is renowned for its abundant quantity of ducks. But not only that, nestled between the basins of Lake Varese and Lake Comabbio, the Palude Brabbia is an extended nature reserve that protects one of the best-preserved examples of a plain bog. And what about the native species that populate the lake, such as perch, pike and royal perch?
In summary, Lake Varese is one of Lombardy's most beautiful treasures. With its unspoiled nature, Isolino Virginia, its fauna and flora, and the possibility of practicing many outdoor activities, it represents an ideal destination for a trip out of town. Explore it and you will be fascinated!
