Europe's Most Picturesque Lake Towns

Transport yourself back in time to a Belle Epoque luxury vacation. A week in Montreux is the Paris getaway Marion Cotillard and Owen Wilson would have taken with Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald in Midnight in Paris if the opportunity had presented itself. Montreux sits right on Lake Geneva and has long-since been an escape for artists and writers—from Charlie Chaplin to Prince to Freddie Mercury—looking for a chic enclave filled with natural beauty. Montreux hosts a popular jazz festival in July and is close to the Lavaux vineyards, producing excellent wine in view of Lake Geneva. Stay at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, which offers numerous lakeside dining like lunch at their Terrasse du Petit Palais.

The Asturias area of Spain is home to Lagos de Covadonga, a collection of three lakes within Picos de Europa National Park. The lakes—Enol, La Ercina, and El Bricial—are best seen in the summer when they fill with water as the adjacent mountains shed their layers of snow and ice. Because these lakes fall within the national park, staying lakeside the way you might on Lake Como or Lake Geneva is less of an option. Instead, stay in picturesque Cangas de Onis, a half-hour drive from lakes Enol and El Bricial, and a town home to ancient Spanish temples, a lively town square, and a beautiful Romanesque bridge stretching across the adjacent Sella River. 

One of the best under-the-radar Lake Como alternatives is Lago Maggiore, and the town of Verbania, often called “the garden on the lake.” Just 60 miles from Milan, Verbania is not far from Lake Como and Lake Iseo, nor is it more than 30 miles to the Swiss border. Verbania has a 16-hectare botanical garden, luxury villas, stunning views of the Alps, and boats and ferries ready to take visitors out for an afternoon on Isola Bella, an island on Lake Maggiore, or to the Borromean Islands. Stay at the luxe Grand Hotel Majestic and enjoy lakeside dining at Osteria Monterosso—choose one of their pastas with freshly caught seafood.

The medieval village of Ohrid, in Macedonia, looks over the three-million-year-old Lake Ohrid. The lake itself is one of the oldest and deepest in Europe, and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spend your days gazing at the serene, nearly translucent green waters and sampling the Turkish-Mediterranean cuisine the Balkan area is known for (visiting Dr. Falafel while in Ohrid is mandatory). In the evenings, head for the live jazz bars in town, like the Duck Club or Jazz Inn. 

In the Haute-Savoie region of France, Annecy is known as the Venice of the Alps. The alpine city sits right on Lake Annecy, with provincial-style buildings lining the lake and the Annecy canals weaving through the center of town. One of the city’s most famous landmarks is Château d’Annecy, a medieval castle completed in the 16th century that looks out over the lake. While in Annecy, poke around Old Town (Vieille Ville), walk Pont des Amours (Lovers’ bridge) from Jardins de l’Europe to Pâquier Esplanade, and take in the city’s regal medieval churches.

Lake Esrum is found within Royal North Sealand National Park, an area that’s often called the Danish Versailles. The Versailles comparison is spot-on considering North Sealand is home to three over-the-top gorgeous castles the Danish royal family still use to this day. In North Sealand, you’ll find the Renaissance-style Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Frederiksborg Castle, the largest castle in northern Europe, and Fredensborg Palace, done in a baroque-style similar to the Palace of Versailles. While vacationing on the Danish Riviera, spend at least one day exploring the royal gardens of Frederiksborg Castle and Fredensborg Palace. Stay about  20 minutes from Lake Esrum at one of North Sealand’s high-end seaside hotels, like Helenekilde Badehotel, a seaside spa and resort. Beyond Lake Esrum, the North Sealand area is also known for Lake Arresø—you’ll want to spend time at both, Lake Esrum for swimming, sailing, and fishing, and Lake Arresø for a boat tour.

The Austrian town on the western shores of Lake Hallstatt is best seen in the spring or fall, because tourists from all over the world flock to this picture-perfect spot in the summer. In the Salzkammergut region of Austria, Hallstatt has been an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 and has only 800 residents but hosts more than a million tourists each year. Meandering Old Town Hallstatt makes for a perfect introduction to the area, from the pastel facades dotted with flower beds to the lanterned alleyways winding between Hallstatt’s local businesses. While in Hallstatt, hike to two iconic viewpoints for views of the historic town and its namesake lake—Aussichtspunkt Hallstatt is the lookout on the north side of Hallstatt and Badestrand is on the south side.