Mediterranean beaches are bursting with sunbeds in peak season, but Europe's lakes offer a more relaxed alternative for travellers seeking a tranquil summer swim. With over 500,000 natural lakes on the continent, choosing where to take a refreshing respite from city break crowds can be challenging. Our travel writers have dipped, rowed, and sailed across Europe's inland waters to bring you their favourite spots.
Dalarna County, Sweden
There is a stillness to Sweden when you leave the city. The Right of Public Access, known as Allemansrätten, allows everyone to roam freely in nature, including forests, fields, and coastlines. In Dalarna County, travel writer Natalie Wilson found days shaped by nature, from the island reserve Vrangoskargarden to wooden swim jetties. The tiny islet offers both outdoor adventures and moments of stillness. Beyond the lakes, folklore laps the shore, wooden horses stand tall, and locals masterfully bake cinnamon buns and tunnbrödsbageri flatbreads.
Alpine Slovenia
Slovenia is a green oasis of vineyards, mountains, and lakes, bringing together the best of Europe in one country. Lake Bled, with its pristine waters, island-studded church, vaulting castle, and sweeping mountain backdrop, grabs much of the Alpine headlines. However, there is real depth to Alpine Slovenia. Lake Bled and its equally pretty neighbour, Lake Bohinj, lie within the remarkable Julian Alps, much of it protected by the Triglav National Park.
Lecco, Italy
The allure of Lake Como is nothing new, with its celebrity clientele. But Rebecca Crowe found a slower pace of life in Lecco, just south of Varenna. Here, everything moves a little slower. You can while away hours with a generous glass of Sforzato di Valtellina or Franciacorta and people-watch in the main square of Palazzo delle Paure. For panoramas of the lake and mountains, take a passeggiata to the Lungolago di Lecco viewpoint with its medieval ruins.
Lake Garda, Italy
Head to the south of Lake Garda and you will soon be sipping some of Italy's best wines. Rosamund Hall noted that cruising around the lake on a sunny Thursday evening offered the best opportunity to understand the unique landscape impacting the region's wines. The vineyards at the southerly end of the lake benefit from unique soils resulting from a huge glacier that carved through the Brenta Dolomites.
Lake Annecy, France
Seeking a summertime mountain fix after a winter skiing injury, Mary Novakovich found lazy-paced mountain fun by one of France's biggest lakes. Based in the small village of Talloires, which has its own beach, she enjoyed swimming in incredibly clear waters from a wooden bathing deck in front of her hotel, Abbaye des Talloires. The swim gave her knee a very gentle workout.
Dalyan, Turkey
With loggerhead turtle nesting sites, ice cream stalls, and floodlit Lucian tombs, the bank of Turkey's Dalyan River is an almost hidden gem on the Mediterranean coast, according to Bill Borrows. A tight roll of 3,000 Turkish lira (about £50) buys two tickets for a four-hour Moonlit cruise to the middle of the glass-smooth lake for a barbecue on the boat, a swim in the gathering gloom, and then 39°C thermal baths and a sulphur-smelling mud bath at Sultaniye on the way back.
Zurich, Switzerland
Spend a few days in Zurich, and you will find wild swimming, boat trips to a pulsing dance scene, and riverfront cocktails. For Rachael Davies, it is impossible to resist the gravitational pull of Lake Zurich. The blue water beckons when glimpsed down narrow streets, and the crystal-clear depths are ideal for whiling away a few hours on a sunny summer's day. There are around 40 outdoor pools, known as badis, scattered throughout the city between May and October.
Heidiland, Switzerland
Switzerland ticks every box for a coolcation, and it is wise to bring a trendy Wickelfisch swim bag. Between dips in the Rhine and Lake Geneva, Sarah Rodrigues found associating the country exclusively with winter sports was a mistake she is not likely to make again. After exploring Sauvabelin, Lausanne's green lung, and climbing the 302 steps of its panoramic tower, she felt she deserved some time in the water. An hour later, she was cycling her legs on a pedalo out into the middle of Lake Geneva, diving off its rear and bobbing about blissfully until its drift forced her to swim after it. The mountains in the background formed a view even more beautiful than the sea-meets-sky beach horizon she has always loved.
