Europe's secret lakes—6 destinations without the crowds
Europe's secret lakes—6 destinations without the crowds
Discover Europe's quieter, lesser-known lakes where mountain scenery, wild swimming and slow travel come without the crowds.
Lake Thun in Switzerland gets its turquoise colour from fine glacial minerals floating in the water.Getty ImagesByDuncan CraigPublished June 22, 2026The appeal of a lakeside holiday is timeless: morning mist rising from the water, long swims, slow boat rides and mountain silhouettes mirrored on glassy surfaces. Yet many of Europe’s lakes don’t stay secret for long. Fortunately, the continent is awash with undiscovered alternatives, from Slovenia’s glacier-fed Bohinj to North Macedonia’s church-dotted Ohrid.
1. Lake Bohinj, Slovenia
Ask someone to name a lake in Slovenia and they’ll probably say Lake Bled, the picture-postcard beauty with the tiny island church at its centre. Ask for a second and you’ll likely be met with an awkward silence. That’s great news for those already acquainted with Bled’s larger, wilder and equally beautiful sister lake, Bohinj. Located a mere 30-minute drive away, it’s a lake of a child’s imagination: placid, crystalline waters fed from the mountains that encircle it; forested shores; sheltered coves and gently sloping beaches. Stand and admire by all means, but this is a playground as much as an oil painting, with a handful of activity centres and rental shops catering to everyone from hikers, climbers and cavers, to mountain bikers, paddleboarders and kayakers.
The seven-mile-long perimeter path is a delight, particularly the stretch along the wilder northwest shore. But the most rewarding views come courtesy of the mountain trails that weave upwards on three sides. Ambitious hikers can head west, past the exuberant torrent of Savici Waterfall towards the Komna Plateau, hundreds of feet above (stay at the mountain hut here and you’ll wake to sunrise mirrored in the lake). A more accessible trail loops around the peak at the northeastern corner, Vogar, and brings you out at a spectacular viewpoint used as a launchpad for paragliders. Feeling brave? Tandem flights are available.
How to do it
Inghams has a three-night stay at Hotel Bohinj on the shore of Lake Bohinj from £969pp, half board, including flights. Pac Sports offers a range of activities and equipment rental.
2. Ennerdale Water, United Kingdom
If even one percent of those who visit a Lake District honeypot such as Windermere make it to Ennerdale Water, it would be a surprise. It’s the most westerly lake in the UK’s most famous national park and likely the quietest. The little Cumbrian hamlet of Ennerdale Bridge — which has a couple of pubs and a pleasing lack of urgency — sits half-a-mile west, but it’s a pulsing metropolis by comparison with what follows, as you hike eastwards into the wild Ennerdale Valley. And hike you must, because the track that traces the northern shore of the lake only goes so far and stops well short of the fabled YHA Black Sail hostel, set in glorious isolation at the prow of the valley.
This being Cumbria, there are no weather guarantees. But should you have the good fortune to visit on a calm, sunlit day, there can be few sights more arresting than the amphitheatre of Pillar (892 metres), Steeple (819 metres), Kirk Fell (802 metres) and other peaks reflected in the serene waters of this isolated glacial lake.
If you can, get out on the water: paddleboards, packrafts and other unmotorised craft are welcome. And walk the picturesque, undulating path along the southern shore, keeping an eye out for rucksack-laden Coast-to-Coasters tackling the UK’s newest national trail, which threads through the valley.
How to do it
Two of the YHA’s most sought-after hostels are the only options for overnight stays. Book six months in advance to stay at Black Sail: private rooms start from £185 per person. YHA Ennerdale offers private rooms from £70 per person. Private rooms sleep four.
3. Lake Saimaa, Finland
An estimated 80% of Finland is either forest or inland water, and Lake Saimaa offers an abundance of both. At 1,700sq miles, it’s considered the country’s biggest lake, though it’s hard to conceive of such a mosaic of basins, bays, channels and islands as a single entity. Living around, above and below this labyrinthine water-world is a dizzying array of wildlife, from otters to ospreys, white-tailed deer to white-backed woodpeckers, and wolves to wild boars. Elk are ubiquitous; excellent swimmers, they can be spotted churning through the waters, nostrils flaring, en route to some distant island.
But there’s little doubting the main attraction: the eponymous Saimaa ringed seal, which is as charismatic as it is endangered (only around 480 survive in the wild). Your best chance of a sighting is on an expert-led, boat-based wildlife safari that prioritises the animals’ welfare and on which you can learn all about this unique boreal landscape.
The nearby towns of Mikkeli and Savonlinna both offer excellent bases and direct access via water to Saimaa. Most visitors, however, prefer to take a traditional Finnish approach to their stay and bed down in a lakeside cabin, blending sessions in the sauna with refreshing dips in water so clear it’s considered drinkable. Visit in summer and you’ll have a generous stretch of daylight hours in which to soak up your surrounds.
How to do it
Responsible Travel offers a seven-night small-group trip exploring Lake Saimaa from £2,999 per person, including transfers from Helsinki and some meals. Flights excluded.
4. Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia and Albania
What’s thought to be Europe’s oldest lake feels timeless in more ways than one. Straddling the border between North Macedonia and Albania, Lake Ohrid has been here for around 1.5 million years, while settlements along its shores date back thousands. Yet despite its remarkable history and Unesco-listed status, it remains far quieter than many of the continent’s more famous lakes. The main hub, Ohrid city, is a maze of cobbled lanes, Ottoman houses and church-topped viewpoints, where days are spent drifting between Byzantine chapels, pearl boutiques and waterside tavernas.
The lake itself is astonishingly clear, fed by dozens of natural springs and framed by mountains that glow gold at sunset. One of the most beautiful spots is the 13th-century Church of St John at Kaneo, perched dramatically above the waterline on a rocky outcrop. Boat trips are a highlight here, particularly south towards the monastery of St Naum, where peacocks wander the grounds and pilgrims queue to visit the saint’s tomb. Many excursions also stop at the Bay of Bones Museum, a reconstructed prehistoric stilt village built over turquoise shallows. Back in town, evenings unfold slowly beside the waterfront, with local wine, grilled lake fish and live music drifting out from the bars and restaurants that line the shore. For a quieter side of Ohrid, rent a kayak or paddleboard and follow the coastline north towards the peaceful beaches and pine-fringed coves beyond Kaneo.
How to do it
From May 2026, TUI will launch direct flights from Gatwick. A seven-night stay at Unique Resort & Spa costs from £698, including flights, transfers, luggage and breakfast.
5. Lake Thun, Switzerland
Few nations do lakes and mountains with quite the panache of Switzerland. Thun is a beautiful medley of the two: a calm, deep-blue finger of water nearly 11 miles long that’s fed by the meltwater from the Bernese Alps, which surround it. Here, you’re among some of the region’s most iconic peaks, with the imposing, snow-capped trident of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (all around 4,000 metres in altitude) off to the south east. Rising to the south is the ‘Swiss pyramid’, the neatly Tobleronic mountain of Niesen. Reached by funicular railway, the 2,362-metre summit offers a view of the lake in its entirety, while the adjacent 11,674 steps play host each summer to one of the world’s most gruelling running races.
Another good vantage point is 12th-century Spiez Castle, set on a vineyard-draped peninsula that slopes down to the water’s edge and serving as a focal point for concerts and art displays in summer. Adjacent is a little marina and an expansive open-air lido ensconced in parkland.
Thun itself, a handsome medieval town, sits at the head of the lake, with the busier Interlaken off to the east. It’s best to base yourself at one of the characterful hotels along the shore and do all your sightseeing by boat; this is quintessential slow travel, courtesy of a restored belle époque paddle steamer that plies the lake’s waters.
How to do it
Hotel Seepark, in Thun, has a three-night stay from £537, B&B, including spa entry. seepark.ch Boat tours are run by BLS Schifffahrt.
6. Vassivière Lake, France
Vassivière Lake is, surprisingly, man-made. With its densely wooded shores and amorphous shape — all probing peninsulas, secluded coves and forested islands — it feels like it’s always been this way. In fact, the lake was created in 1950 as part of a hydroelectricity project to help rebuild French industry in the wake of the Second World War. Sprawling yet intimate and as cultured as it is sporty, it attracts a broad cross-section of visitors to this unhurried tranche of central France.
Vassivière Island, set in a lake and connected to the mainland by a causeway, is home to the International Center of Art and Landscape — showcasing the work of local sculptors and painters — as well as a handsome chateau and a conical lighthouse designed by postmodern Italian architect Aldo Rossi. A quintet of beaches is spaced evenly around its serrated shoreline, and these serve as hubs for a range of activities, including kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, stargazing and pike fishing. The trails that trace the shoreline through a landscape protected from development and denudation via natural park status are particularly popular in spring, when the landscape is freckled with wildflowers.
How to do it
Vassivière has a selection of gîtes and chalets near the beaches of Broussas and Vauveix, sleeping four to six people, from €50 (£43) a night. Limoges, which has direct flights from the UK, is a 75-minute drive away.Published in the Lakes & Mountains Collection 2026 by National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here (available in select countries only).
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
