Lago di Varese
Via Monviso
About
Lago di Varese lies at the gates of the city of Varese, between the morainic hills of the foothills of the Alps in the high Po plain. It was created when a glacial hollow was filled in the Quaternary period receiving its waters from a dozen or so mountain streams and rivers; the only emissary is the river Bardello. Inhabited since prehistoric times when it villages were built on stilts on the edge of the water (remains found on Virginia island), the abundance of fish and birds in the lake has been exploited for centuries. Species present are pike, tench, barbel, trout, eel and bleak. You will find nesting birds like the great crested grebe, the little bittern, the coot and the waterhen. The main centers of interest here are Voltorre, with the remains of an ancient medieval cenoby, Biandronno, with the small lake, and Cazzago Brabbia.