by Winning tip: sublime swimming in northern Italy
It is in the hills above Riva del Garda in Trentino Lago di Tenno, a beautiful blue-green mountain lake. It’s small enough to walk around in under an hour, surrounded on all sides by beautiful mountain views, but it’s the swimming that will bring you back again and again. The clean waters may be a little cold at first, but the shackles are soon forgotten as you swim across the small gap to the grassy island. Relaxation, mountain air, beautiful views. There are a few hotels in the village of Tenno, with its medieval hilltop castle, and a lovely campsite close to the lake.
An ant
We are on Spree, Germany
The odd rivers and 200 canals Spreewald, a richly forested Unesco biosphere reserve southeast of Berlin, offering hundreds of miles of navigable waterways. While we were setting up in Lübbenau, we hired kayaks and went around the banks of a river rich in wildlife and saw bream and kingfish. We often saw riverside home owners slipping into their own vessels to commute or go shopping. Hand-made signs on tree trunks guide paddlers: our favorite stop is the Gasthaus Wotschofska – a wonderful beer hall that cannot be reached by car. Tie up your watercraft and step ashore for a beer stein and a dish featuring the famous Spreewald gherkin pickle. We hired our kayaks from Bootsverleih Franke in Lübbenau for €30 per day or €12 per hour.
Lauren Jones
Tips from Guardian Travel readers
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a hiking and snowboarding haven from Slovenia
We stayed in the Julian Alps at Camp Bohinj (adults from €16 per night) in a tent right on the shore Lake Bohinj, the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. The place has great views, great swimming, hammocks and a nice little bar. There’s plenty to do on the lake with kayaking and paddleboarding, but you can easily hike up to the mountains for incredible views. It’s close to Lake Bled and the Austrian/Italian border, so a perfect stop if you’re touring around.
Dave Gregory
Camping by a lake and sunset, France
Lac d’Aiguebelette in the Savoie Mont Blanc region of France (a few miles west of Chambéry) which is well deserved by the folklore of our people. Vessels are smaller and less developed than neighbor Annecy, and because they are a nature reserve, motorized vessels are prohibited – making them perfect for swimming, kayaking and windsurfing. One of the warmest natural lakes in France, its still, emerald waters are surrounded by magnificent mountains. Most days were spent playing on the campsite’s private beach, or exploring the waters on a paddle board, regularly jumping out for a swim. When the kids were fed up, the adults took turns going to the water to enjoy the sunset. We stayed at Camping le Curtelet where pitches start at around €22 in August.
Jenny McConkey
Cycling on the shores of Garda, Italy
A trip to Peschiera del Garda at the southern end of Lake Garda gave the opportunity to try the 30 miles Mincio River cycle path. There is free bike hire in Peschiera and the route is flat all the way to the architectural gem of Mantua. Stop along the way at the beautiful medieval village of Borghetto or in the nearby town of Valeggio sul Mincio where you can try classic pasta: tortellini and valeggio.
Calum
Another tack, eastern France
Lac des Sapins, northwest of Lyon, in France’s Rhône-Alps region, has long been a family favorite. With a homemade picnic and organic Beaujolais and Viognier red wine from the Oedoria cooperative in Létra, we will spend the day there, picnicking, swimming, chatting. My English godmother is a keen sailor so she, my French godmother and I hired a jumper. We reached the middle of the lake when the wind dropped. I thought we would need a tow, but she went over and over, catching every little breeze to get us back. The owners suggested we come in and we toasted her with Beaujolais.
Lynne
Adrift in southern Sweden
In Värmland, south-west Sweden, a great adventure can be found by booking a rafting trip on the River Klarälven starting at Gunnerud. We went with Vildmark (one night to week options from £175-£420, group bookings available): you build a raft (advice provided, but you do the building), then you drift down the river. , through rolling hills and forest. The currents lead you south and the weekly option takes you up to 70 miles. You sleep in your tent, using the Swedish right to camp anywhere as long as you leave no trace. You cook your own food (can be pre-ordered) and you won’t see many signs of civilization other than other people on rafts.
As
The largest volcanic lake in Europe, Italy
Lake Bolsena in central Italy, between Rome and Siena, it is the largest volcanic lake in Europe. We love staying with Anna at Agriturismo Castell’Araldo with apartments for around €100 per night. The food in the area is great and the lake is beautiful with its black sand beaches and islands, such as Bisentina, which make a good day trip. Food heaven and a great alternative to the tourist traps in the north of Lake Garda and Lake Como.
Angharad
Healing waters, Romania
It has one of the largest helithermal lakes in Europe Lake Ursu (Bear). in Sovata, Romania. Here you can swim like a cork in a happily warm sea no matter how much papanasi Cheese donuts you’ve scoffed from the village cafes. The lake was formed in 1875 by a combination of natural events. The top layer of fresh water flows in from nearby streams and acts as a thermal insulator, but the deeper you go, the hotter it feels: at 1.5 metres, the temperature can exceed 45C. Apart from the heat, the salinity increases buoyancy, making it impossible to sink. The large four-hectare lake is renowned for its healing properties, with woods and wooden sunbathing terraces (and variable cabins). And if you want to try another similar lake, there are four more within the nature reserve: Alunis, Rosu, Verde and Mierlei.
Caroline
Crazy and amazing: kayaking in Belgium
The IS River Lesser I love. You can rent your kayak in Dinant and then paddle up to eight miles and catch the train back, or do the train section first. There are great spots for a picnic and a break around the chateau at Walzin. There are several bends to navigate: as newbies it took 20 minutes to build up the courage to go down the first small bend. The second was the white water, but we went through it like we were on our way to Olympic gold. Chips with Mayo were well deserved. Back in Dinant there are few electric boats to rent (€60 but they have six) and they have the chance to enjoy the strongest Meuse River.
Anthony
