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Home > Switzerland > 20 Most Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland

20 Most Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland

By Dymphe / January 10, 2023

There are many beautiful lakes in Switzerland. If you're in Switzerland, visiting some of the gorgeous lakes is one of the most amazing things to do.

The nature in Switzerland is very nice and the number of beautiful lakes in the country is amazing. There are both large lakes and small lakes.

The large lakes, such as Lake Geneva, are wonderful to visit if you like a place with lots of things to do. If you want to go to a quiet place, there are enough lakes in the country to visit as well. These lakes are perfect if you want to admire nature and relax.

If you're going to visit this wonderful country there are so many things to do! You can visit pretty cities, such as Zürich and Lucerne. But you should also see some nature as well!

Switzerland is famous for its beautiful scenery. You can find so many dreamy and picturesque spots in the country. And the pretty lakes definitely belong to the dreamy places in Switzerland!

As there are so many lakes you can visit, I made this list of beautiful lakes you should definitely see.

Below, you can find the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland!

1. Lake Geneva: A Beautiful Lake in Switzerland That's Very Large

One of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland is Lake Geneva.

You find this lake near many places in Switzerland. The largest city nearby is Geneva, which is where the city got its name from. Other places in Switzerland near the lake are Lausanne and Montreux.

The location of the lake is on the border with France. So, Lake Geneva is also close to some French places. For example, the city of Annecy is close to the lake.

Beautiful flowers at Lake Geneva in Switzerland

One of the things that makes this lake beautiful is its size. It is a very large lake in the country. In fact, it is the largest lake in Switzerland! Moreover, it is one of the largest lakes in Europe! This is very impressive.

Because of that, the lake is very wide, which looks amazing. The whole area of the lake is a very large open space.

Furthermore, there are large flat landscapes next to the lake where you can see a lot of greenery. This looks incredible!

A view of Lake Geneva

Also, in the background, you can see very tall mountains, which is amazing to see!

Lake Geneva is a great place for swimming. There are lots of beaches that are very relaxing and fun places to be at!

You can also rent boats at the lake, which is great as well. This allows you to explore the lake on your own. There are various types of boats you can rent. For example, there are motorboats and pedal boats. Seeing one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland from the water is great!

It is easy to get to Lake Geneva. When you visit the city of Geneva, you immediately see it! Getting to Gevena is also very easy, there is a lot of public transportation. For example, it is easy to get there by train!

Nature, houses and Lake Geneva

2. Caumasee

Caumasee is another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland you have to see! This lake is near Flims, which is a small town in the Canton of the Grisons.

This lake looks incredible. It is much smaller than many other lakes on this list, and this makes it very special.

Furthermore, it is a very quiet place, which makes it great to visit! It feels very authentic.

A beautiful view of the lake Caumasee in Switzerland

Moreover, the lake is great if you like to hike. There are several hiking trails near the lake! So if you want to hike at one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland, this place is perfect.

Also, there are lots of rocks next to the beach, which is great to sit down at and relax!

The water of the lake is so blue that it almost looks fake, but it is a real place that is amazing! Moreover, the water makes you want to jump straight into the lake when you arrive.

Also, what's beautiful about the lake is the large number of pine trees next to the water. This is quite unique for a lake in Switzerland!

A great activity to do at the lake is swimming. It is an incredible experience to get into the clean water.

Blue water at a beautiful lake in Switzerland

To get to the lake you can do so by public transport. There is a great bus connection with a bus stop next to Lake Caumasee.

Besides that, you can also get to the lake by car.

3. Bannalpsee

Another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland is Bannalpsee! It is an artificial lake that is there because of a dam.

You find this lake near the village of Wolfenschiessen in the Nidwalden canton.

The lake is a rather unknown place that almost no people visit. This makes the lake an even more special place!

Cows at Bannalpsee

When you visit the lake, it could be the case that you are the only one at the lake, even during summer! This is very unique to experience!

Besides that, the lake itself is great! It is very small and looks even smaller compared to the huge mountain next to it! That's also why it belongs to the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland.

From that mountain, you can see how blue the lake is, which is great! So if you are here, I recommend going to the top of the mountain next to it to see the lake from above!

Bannalpsee from above

Also, there are many hiking trails at the lake!

What's great about the lake as well are the cows that are grazing in the field next to the lake! These animals are amazing to see.

To get to the lake you can take a cable car from Oberrickenbach in the village of Wolfenschiessen.

To get there you can take a bus from the train station in Wolfenschiessen.

There is a train connection to this train station from the city of Lucerne, so it is easy to get here!

4. Lake Lugano

Lake Lugano is another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland! It is in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. And you can find this lake on the border of Switzerland and Italy!

You can find the lake near other famous lakes. The lakes that are close to Lake Lugano are Lake Como and Lago Maggiore.

A red bench at Lake Lugano in Switzerland

The lake looks incredible. The water is very blue, which is incredible. Furthermore, the mountains next to the lake are very tall!

Another great thing about the lake is the large number of towns and villages next to it.

The most important of these is Lugano, the place where the lake gets its name from. But there are lots of other places near the lake.

Water at Lake Lugano

Some of these lie in Italy and some in Switzerland! Great places are Agnuzzo, Capolago, Melano, and Paradiso.

A great thing to do at Lake Lugano is renting a boat. When you do that you can visit many of the places at the lake by yourself.

Boats at Lake Lugano

Besides that, there are also passenger boats that can take you to lots of great places at Lake Lugano!

Another great thing you can do at the lake is going to the top of one of the mountains near it. For example, the view from Monte San Salvatore, the most iconic mountain here, is awesome!

Beautiful flowers at Lake Lugano in Switzerland

5. Oeschinensee

For another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland go to Oeschinensee.

This is a lake that you can find in the Bernese Oberland.

What's beautiful about this lake is that there are lots of cliffs next to it! From a few sides of the lake, the mountains go straight up, which is amazing to see!

A view of Oeschinensee

Moreover, another thing that I love about the lake is the variety of landscapes you can see here. There are both rocky mountains and green fields next to it!

Another great thing at Oeschinensee is to get to the top of one of the mountains. From there you have an amazing panoramic view of the lake.

Oeschinensee from above

Furthermore, there are many hiking trails at the lake. These hiking trails make for a great active activity where you can see lots of pretty things!

Also, when you visit the lake in winter and spring, Oeschinensee is great as well! From December till May, there is ice on the lake. This makes it sometimes possible to ice skate here!

To get to the lake you first need to take a cable car to Oeschinen. From there you can reach the lake on foot within half an hour.

What's great is that you can also stay for a night at the lake. That's because there is a hotel next to Oeschinensee!

Nature in Switzerland

6. Lake Thun

Lake Thun is another incredible lake in Switzerland that you have to visit when you are in the country. You can find the lake next to the city of Thun.

A beautiful road at Lake Thun in Switzerland

The lake is quite long. Its length is 10.9 miles (17.5 kilometers) and its width is 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers).

Lake Thun looks gorgeous and is one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. The water is very blue and you can see stunning mountains in the background!

There are many places where you can swim in the lake. Furthermore, the lake is very popular for surfing and sailing. That's because a unique thing about this lake is that there is a breeze.

Buildings and water

Besides the lake itself, there are lots of things to do next to the lake. For example, you can get to the top of the mountains next to it by cable car.

From the cable car, you can have a wonderful view of the lake and its surrounding. You are able to see the shape of the lake and the color looks amazing from there!

A cable car and a view of the beautiful Lake Thun in Switzerland

Furthermore, there are many other points where you can look down on the lake from above. This is amazing to see because the water looks even bluer from above!

An interesting fact about the lake is that there is a lot of munition in the water. That's because the government of Switzerland dumped unused munition from WWII here.

The largest city next to Lake Thun and the city of Thun is Bern. From there you can drive to the lake, or you can travel by train. You can get there by train within 20 minutes.

A view of a building

7. Blausee: One of the Lesser-Known Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland

Another beautiful lake in Switzerland is Blausee. You can find this lake near the town of Kandergrund.

It is a very small lake that doesn't receive many visitors each year. You can say that Blausee is a hidden gem in Switzerland. The quietness of the lake makes it a very special place to visit.

The name Blausee means "Blue Lake" in German, and that is very fitting for this lake. The water is very blue and compared to all the colors of the surrounding nature, this stands out!

Blausee in Switzerland

The nature next to the lake is incredible. Everywhere you look, you can see trees and grass. This is amazing!

Also, there are rocks in the water that look amazing.

You should also definitely visit the lake in winter. The snow on the trees next to the lake gives this lake a true Christmas feeling! It's definitely one of the most unique and beautiful lakes in Switzerland in winter!

You can reach the lake by bus from the train station in Kandersteg. And you can reach this train station from many places in Switzerland! For example, there is a train from Bern to Kandersteg.

Blue water and trees at Blausee
Blausee

8. Lake Zürich: One of the Most Famous Beautiful Lakes in Switzerland

The next lake on this list of beautiful lakes in Switzerland is Lake Zürich. This lake lies next to the city of Zürich.

What makes this lake special is the amazing blue color and its proximity to Zürich! It's great that the lake is part of the city of Zürich.

The blue color of the water fits well with the typical Swiss houses in the city. Furthermore, it's great that you can see the lake from many places in Zürich!

A beautiful view of buildings at Lake Zürich in Switzerland

Furthermore, it is a very large lake with lots of beautiful towns and cities alongside it.

The most famous of these is the capital of Switzerland, Zürich. But there are many others. For example, you'll find the Richterswil, Lachen, Horgen, Rapperswil, and more towns here.

What's great about the lake as well is that the water is very clean! You can see this when you look at the water as well, which is awesome!

In fact, a large part of the drinking water in Zürich comes from the water of the lake!

Lake Zürich

Furthermore, the temperature of the water is very comfortable. During summer, the temperature of the water is most often higher than 68°F (or 20°C).

Another great thing about the lake is the number of beaches! There are lots of them next to the lake.

The cleanliness, temperature, and beaches make the lake very comfortable for swimming!

What's great as well for swimming are the public baths. There are several public baths next to the lake where you can swim as well. In summer, these are very popular with tourists!

It is very easy to reach the city of Zürich and the lake. There are great train connections and there is an airport!

9. Lake Brienz

Lake Brienz definitely belongs to the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland.

That's because the water of the lake is incredible. It is so blue! This is so beautiful to see!

You can find this lake in the Berne canton. And there is a village called Brienz next to the lake that is lovely to visit.

A view of the beautiful Lake Brienz in Switzerland with flowers

Furthermore, there are passenger ships on the lake that can take you to many places on its shore! These ships are there since the year 1839, which is incredible!

What's great is to go to the top of one of the surrounding mountains. From here you have an incredible view of Lake Brienz.

But not only seeing the lake from there is great. Also, it is great to take photos of the lake from the summit of the mountain. Especially when you combine the view with a shot of pretty pink flowers near the lake, you'll get a great photo!

Lake Brienz in Switzerland

10. Lake Biel

Another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland is Lake Biel. The lake is in the Jura region of the country, in the western part of Switzerland. The largest town near the lake is Biel or Bienne (it has two names).

There are lots of beautiful viewpoints from where you can see the lake from above. Furthermore, you can see beautiful landscapes from there.

Lake Biel from above

For example, there are vineyards on the slopes of the hills next to the lake. These are incredible to see! And from there you have a beautiful overview of both the vineyards and the lake!

Another beautiful thing about Lake Biel is St. Peter's Island. This is a peninsula that is very popular. There are a lot of things to do there!

What's also great is that you can find lots of towns and villages by the lake. These are great to visit when you go to Lake Biel.

To get to Lake Biel you first have to go to the town of Biel.

A view of Lake Biel

11. Walensee

Walensee is a great lake to visit! This is one of the largest lakes in the country and you can find it near the town of Walenstadt. Moreover, a large area of the lake is within the Canton of St. Gallen.

Road at Walensee

The lake is very beautiful. There are lots of places where you can look at the lake to admire its beauty.

Blue water at Walensee

For example, there are many hiking trails next to the water. At those hiking trails, you can stumble upon the most beautiful spots at the lake! This is one of the best things you can do at this beautiful lake in Switzerland!

Trees and grass

Besides that, it's also one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland from a distance. There are places where you can see the lake and the beautiful landscapes surrounding it at the same time!

There are some lovely towns at the lake, which are all great to visit! This makes visiting the lake even better!

Blue water and trees at Walensee

12. Lake Lucerne

Another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland is Lake Lucerne. You can find this lake in the city of Lucerne, which is a great Swiss city that you should definitely visit as well!

What makes the lake beautiful is the color. The color of the water is very blue. Furthermore, you can see a lot of nature next to the lake, which looks very pretty next to the blue water.

What's great is that the lake looks great from a lot of sides. And it is very easy to get to all parts of the lake by public transport, so you can enjoy it all!

Beautiful blue water at Lake Lucerne in Switzerland

Next to the lakes, you can find a lot of mountains. These are great to see and to visit too!

For example, you can go to Mount Pilatus. A popular route to get there is by ferry. You can take a ferry over the lake to reach the mountain. During this journey, you'll have an amazing view of the lake!

Another aspect of the lake that is wonderful is that it is next to the city of Lucerne. From there, you can walk to the lake, which is very convenient.

At Lake Lucerne, there are many places where you swim. For example, there is a beach called Ufschötti Strand, which is near the city.

You can also do a lunch cruise at Lake Lucerne!

Getting to Lucerne is very easy. There are lots of great train connections with other places in Switzerland.

Furthermore, there are bus companies that offer routes that go to Lucerne.

This is also very doable if you are coming from a place outside of Switzerland. For example, I took an overnight bus from the city of Venice in Italy to Lucerne!

13. Lake Gelmer

Lake Gelmer is also very beautiful! It is an artificial lake that acts as a reservoir for electricity generation.

The water of Lake Gelmer looks phenomenal. It has a very beautiful color blue.

Mountains and blue water at the beautiful Lake Gelmer in Switzerland

Furthermore, the mountains that surround the lake are incredible to see. They are very steep and there is snow on top of them.

What's great is that there are many hiking trails at the lake. These lead you alongside the lake, from where you have a beautiful view of it.

Nature at Lake Gelmer

Also, there are sand beaches next to the lake. The sand beaches are amazing to see! You don't often find sand beaches near these beautiful lakes in Switzerland.

You can get to Lake Gelmer by the Gelmerbahn. This is a funicular that can bring you from the village of Handegg to the lake. For a long time, it was the funicular with the largest inclination of Europe.

You can reach the funicular by bus and car.

Sand and nature at Lake Gelmer

14. Lake Zug

This next lake is Lake Zug. It is a lake that you can find in the region of Central Switzerland. Moreover, the lake is within the Canton of Zug.

Also, this lake is close to two other beautiful lakes, Lake Zürich and Lake Lucerne. Combining some of these lakes is a great experience, and I definitely recommend doing so!

Pier and a beautiful view of Lake Zug in Switzerland

The surroundings of Lake Zug look gorgeous. But compared to the surroundings of many other lakes on this list, there is a difference.

Here, the direct surrounding land is very flat. This gives the lake a very spacious feeling, which is beautiful to see! Moreover, it makes the lake look very calm.

There are lots of things to do at Lake Zug. For example, you can visit the Zugerberg. This is a mountain next to the lake.

You can get to the top of Zugerberg by a funicular. From the top of this mountain, you have a wonderful view of the city.

Lake Zug

15. Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore or Lago Maggiore is another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland.

But this is also a great Italian lake! That's because you can find this lake on the border of Switzerland and Italy.

Furthermore, you can find the lake close to Lake Lugano, which is another beautiful Swiss lake.

The lake is very large. In fact, it is one of the largest lakes in Switzerland and the second largest lake in Italy! That's why the lake's name is Lake Maggiore, which means "Major Lake" in Italian.

Houses and water at the beautiful Lake Maggiore in Switzerland

Moreover, the greatest length of the lake is 40 miles (or 64.4 km) and the greatest width is 6.2 miles (or 10 km).

The size of the lake is in part what makes the lake very beautiful!

Because of that, you can see a variety of things at the lake.

For example, there are lots of towns and villages at the lake. These are all great to visit and all offer something unique!

Also, there are many events at Lake Maggiore throughout the year, which is great! For example, there are several runs at the lake.

Lake Maggiore

Besides that, you can go kayaking, canoeing, and rafting at Lake Maggiore.

Furthermore, there are lots of great places for swimming at the lake, which is great! Swimming here is a great activity that is both fun and very relaxing.

What's great about the lake as well is that there are islands in the middle of the lake.

One of the most beautiful islands is Isola Bella, which means "beautiful island". On this island, there is a stunning palace and there are gorgeous gardens. Furthermore, the island has a very interesting history.

If you want to visit the island, you can do so by ferry!

16. Lac de Joux

Lac de Joux is another great lake in Switzerland. You can find this lake in a valley called "Vallée de Joux". This is a valley of the Jura Mountains in the Vaud Canton.

Of all the lakes in the country that are above the altitude of 1000 meters, Lac de Joux is the largest one!

The lake is very pretty to see.

It is unique compared with other lakes in Switzerland. That's because its surrounding is much different. On all sides of the lake, there are flat landscapes.

During summer you can do a lot here. It is the perfect place for mountain biking and hiking, as there are lots of trails.

Also, in winter Lac de Joux is great to visit. What's great is that you can often go ice skating on the lake. Furthermore, there are many ski areas next to the lake, which is awesome!

17. Riffelsee

Riffelsee is another one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. You find it near the town of Zermatt.

By the way, Zermatt is a great town to visit. There is a lot to do in the town that I definitely recommend doing! You can explore the town in a very short amount of time to see the highlights. For example, it is a great idea to spend one day in Zermatt!

Riffelsee

The water at Riffelsee is very clear, which is amazing to see. It is so clear that you can see the fish swim! This makes it very beautiful.

Furthermore, the landscape of the lake is very pretty. There are mountains that surround the lake, including the Riffelhorn. But there is one mountain that stands out!

This is the Matterhorn mountain! This mountain is great to see and you might already recognize it! That's because it is the mountain that appears on the side of a Toblerone chocolate bar!

When you stand at the lake, you can hold a Toblerone chocolate bar in front of the mountain. You can see that the logo on the bar matches the real mountain!

18. Lake Constance

Lake Constance, or Bodensee in German, is another lake you have to see when you are in the country. That's because it is also one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland.

This lake is at the point where the borders of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria come together. Moreover, the lake is in the Canton of St. Gallen.

Lake Constance

There are lots of things to do and see at Lake Constance.

For example, you can go on a boat ride on the lake. This is a great way to explore the towns at the lake. And at the same time, you have a wonderful view of the water.

Another great thing you can do at the lake is going to the town of Lindau. The port of this town is amazing to see!

You find here the Lindau Lighthouse, which is a beautiful lighthouse. It has a very classical architecture, and that's because the Lighthouse is from the year 1856.

Also, next to the lighthouse there is a large statue of a lion that looks great!

19. Bachalpsee

Bachalpsee is a very pretty lake that you can find near the village of Grindelwald.

This lake is much smaller than lots of other beautiful lakes in Switzerland. But this looks stunning!

Mountains and grass at Bachalpsee

What's pretty about the lake as well is that the water is very calm here. This makes the whole area near the lake a very calm place to visit, where you can come to yourself!

Another pretty thing about the lake is the flowers next to it. There are beautiful white flowers that make the lake look much prettier. Also, if you want to take photos of Bachalpsee, adding these flowers to your picture, will look awesome!

Water and mountains at Bachalpsee in Switzerland

20. Seebergsee

Another one of the most gorgeous lakes in Switzerland is Seebergsee. This is a very small lake that you can find in the Canton of Berne.

The lake is so small that you walk around it in a very short time. This makes it very charming and very pretty to see.

Furthermore, what's great is that there is a lot of grass that surrounds the lake. The green color of the grass looks very beautiful compared to the blue color of the water.

Seebergsee

A great thing you can do at Seebergsee is to hike to the top of one of its surrounding mountains.

From there you can see the lake from above, and you can better see how small it is!

Getting to Seebergsee is very easy. The lake is very close to the city of Bern, so it is only a short ride by car from there. But, there are no options for public transport, which can make it harder to get here.

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  • Hi there! I’m Dymphe, a travel blogger and content creator with a passion for exploring beautiful destinations and travel photography. I’ve been traveling for years and I decided to start this blog to help you do the same in Europe, the United States, and beyond. More about me.

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