Varese Lake ( it, Lago di Varese) is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

of glacial origin in Lombardy, in the north of

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It has an area of 14.5 km², a medium depth of 11 m, and a maximum depth of 23 m. It hosted the Canoeing European Championships in 2012, the World Rowing Master Regatta in 2013, the World Rowing Under 23 Championships in 2014,the second Canoeing World Championship in 2015 and the World Rowing Under 23 / Under 19 Championships in 2022.

Formation

The birth of Lake Varese dates back to about 15,000 years ago, at the same time as that of nearby

Lake Maggiore Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest l ...

, when the retreat of the Verbano

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

created the large basin in which the city and its lake are located today, which at the time had a much larger surface and included much of the surrounding lakes.

The Waters

The lake is currently (since 2015) not suitable for swimming.

Flora and Fauna

Flora Lying between the basins of Lake Varese and Lake Comabbio, the Palude Brabbia, covering 459 hectares, is a nature reserve that protects one of the best preserved examples of lowland peat bog. The swamp is an alternation of areas covered by dense aquatic vegetation, with large reeds,

willows Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

and alders, sometimes open water, the so-called clear, small bodies of water with a regular shape. Since 1994, the management of the reserve has been entrusted to Lipu. Fauna There are about 170 species of birds that frequent the area of Lake Varese. Among the most difficult to meet there are some species of ducks such as the

Tufted Duck The tufted duck or tufted pochard (''Aythya fuligula'') is a small diving duck with a population of close to one million birds, found in northern Eurasia. The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek '' aithuia'', an unidentified seabird ment ...

and Gadwall or

herons The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

such as the

Bittern Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called ''hæferblæte'' in Old English; the word "bittern ...

and the Purple Heron.

External links

Varese lake portal
* {{Authority control

Varese Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the c ...

Waterways of Italy Province of Varese LVarese

Formation

The Waters

Flora and Fauna

See also

External links