Lago di Comabbio, Lake in Varese Province, Italy
Lago di Comabbio is a small lake in the Varese province of northern Italy, set in a flat landscape with wooded and reed-covered shores. The water is visible from several points around the perimeter, and the banks are lined with aquatic vegetation that extends into the shallows.
The lake formed when it separated from the nearby Lago di Varese, though an artificial channel kept the two connected for a long time after. This split changed the way water moved across the whole area around Varese.
Water chestnuts grow naturally along the edges of the lake and have long been part of local food traditions. You can still spot the floating plants from the shore, and their harvest remains a small but recognizable part of local life.
The shore can be reached from several points around the lake, and a path follows the water all the way around. Walking or cycling the full loop is an easy way to take in the different sides of the lake.
In cold winters, the lake used to freeze thick enough for people to cut and harvest blocks of ice from the surface. Those blocks were then stored and used to keep food cold, long before refrigeration existed.
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