World's most beautiful lakes - Part 2

One could argue that, among the Earth’s natural features, lakes do the most with the least — they are, after all, simply static bodies of water. That flat perspective falls light-years short of the many marvels the world’s lakes offer us humans who visit them, swim in them, fish in them, boat upon them, and just plain admire them.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

 Its waters a vivid blue-green from limestone sediment, Slovenia’s Lake Bled in the southeastern Alps and the castles near it make this one of Europe’s most photographed bodies of water. An island in the middle of the lake holds a historic church popular for weddings; its 160-foot steeple rises high above the islet and lake, the centerpiece of many photos. Just 20 miles from Ljubljana International Airport, the lake has become a popular tourist destination since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and has been the site of several world rowing championships. The peaks of the Julian Alps provide a distinctive background.

Lago de Patzcuaro, Mexico

 Oft depicted in tourist-guide photos, the indigenous fishermen of Mexico’s Lago de Patzcuaro use distinctive butterfly nets to catch the lake’s native whitefish, which are fried up in dozens of restaurants along the shore and on the lake’s central island, Janitzio. Surrounded by pine-clad mountains in the state of Michoacan, Patzcuaro is the home of the Purepecha people, who will proudly tell you that not only were they never conquered by the Spanish conquistadors, they never submitted to Aztec rule either. Michoacan is known as “la alma de Mexico”— the soul of Mexico — and the famous Patzcuaro basin is a large part of the reason why. The nearby town of the same name is famed for its handmade ice cream.

Lake General Carrera/Buenos Aires, Patagonia

 Like the northern Pacific Coast, the southern tip of South America is an upthrust section of the Ring of Fire whose mountains hold many sparkling valley lakes framed by snow-capped peaks. Patagonia is shared by Argentina and Chile, so it’s appropriate that one of the most beautiful of the region’s lakes also bestrides the two countries: Lake General Carrera/Buenos Aires (the first name is Chilean, the second Argentinian). The lake’s best-known feature is an area of eroded marble known as Marble Caves, or Catedral de Marmol, in the middle of the lake. Glacial flour arriving in the many streams feeding the lake gives it a soft, powder-blue hue.

Chilko Lake, British Columbia

 Crumpled up into the sky around the entire northern Pacific’s Ring of Fire, the coast ranges of Asia and North America hold many glacial-basin lakes that, like Washington state's Chelan, are freshwater fjords. Chilko Lake, at the edge of British Columbia’s wild Chilcotin Plateau, is a 14-hour drive from Vancouver — and worth every minute. The shimmering waters reflect the Chilcotin Mountains’ snowy peaks as if they were quartz gems. Outfitters lead pack trains into the valleys leading away from the lake, lone miners work secret claims in the mountains, and tourists who reach this remote locale can only marvel at the unparalleled beauty of the entire scene.

Lake Chelan, Wash.

 Most people think of fjords as saltwater inlets that stretch deep into mountainous coasts, courtesy of glacial action in past ice ages — think of Norway, British Columbia and southeastern Alaska. But many of the world’s mountain regions hold lakes that are essentially fjords, such as Washington state’s 55-mile-long Lake Chelan, tucked into the back side of the Cascade Range northeast of Seattle. Chelan is less than a mile wide almost its entire length, and plunges to a depth of 1,486 feet, third deepest in the U.S. Because of its unique position it is set in completely different ecosystems at each end — montane at its northwestern inlet, arid shrub-steppe at the opposite. The quiet valley at the far end, Stehekin, is a lovely vacation retreat that can be reached only by ferry or floatplane.

Lake Siljan, Sweden

 With its tidy countryside consisting of flower-strewn meadows and quiet farmsteads, bordered by birch and pine woods in rolling hills, Sweden is one of the world’s most picturesque countries. Lake Siljan, in the famous folkloric province of Dolarna, is surrounded by small towns whose red-painted homestead buildings contrast with the green serenity of the land. The lake’s water occupies geologic pockets left over from a crater created by a meteorite impact 377 million years ago. Dolarna’s music and dance festivals draw thousands of fans each summer, who bring home as souvenirs the province’s carved wooden horses, dolarhests.

(msn.com)