The world’s ‘most picturesque’ lakes have been crowned

Sure, rivers can be pretty and beaches can be fun, but there’s just something a bit magical about lakes, right? The serenity. The luxury. The romance. 

While there are gorgeous lakes all over the world (100 million, or 3.7 percent of the Earth’s continental surface, to be exact), a brand new study has just crunched the numbers on which have the most Instagram hashtags to find the most photogenic lakes on the planet. You might be looking for some lesser-known lakes that aren’t as frequented by prolific ‘gram-posters, but if you’re looking for that picture-perfect shot, this list is a pretty good place to start. 

The USA’s Lake Tahoe was crowned the world’s most photogenic. The gargantuan expanse of water, which straddles the border between Nevada and California, brags more than 3 million posts with #LakeTahoe attached. Given it’s the third deepest lake in North America and the 10th in the world, and has been the backdrop for a whole host of movies, we aren’t too shocked. 

The USA’s confidently named Lake Superior also makes the top 10, but the list is actually dominated by Europe – three lakes in Italy, two in Scotland and Bodensee which straddles Germany, Austria and Switzerland, are all included. Read on for the full roundup.  

The 10 most picturesque lakes in the world

1. Lake Tahoe, US
2. Bodensee, Germany/Austria/Switzerland
3. Lake Como, Italy
4. Lake Garda, Italy
5. Lake Louise, Canada
6. Lake Superior, USA
7. West Lake, China
8. Loch Lomond, Scotland
9. Loch Ness, Scotland
10. Lago di Braies, Italy

We do like to be beside the lakeside

Surprisingly, there were no entries from the UK’s dazzling Lake District, which we think is a bit of an oversight – check out our guide to the region here. Oh, and we also have a roundup of the world’s most beautiful lakes, from Peru and Bolivia to China and Tanzania. 

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