Palude Brabbia, Nature reserve in the Province of Varese, Italy

Palude Brabbia is a nature reserve situated between Lake Comabbio and Lake Varese in the province of Varese, covering an area of 460 hectares with reed beds, wet woodlands, and ponds dotted with water lilies. The landscape consists of different water habitats and vegetated zones that support a wide range of wildlife.

The wetland formed over the last 20,000 years when a single large post-glacial lake, which also covered today's Lakes Varese and Comabbio, drained southward and eroded the bed of the Bardello, lowering the water level by about 20 metres and exposing the marshy ground. From 1847 the peat bog was mined for peat for just over a century; the regular ponds left by the digging and the long canal joining the two lakes now shape the reserve.

The reserve's name comes from the Brabbia canal that crosses it, linking Lake Varese and Lake Comabbio. The marsh was worked for peat from 1847 for just over a century, and the regular ponds dug for extraction remain visible today. The Eurasian coot, very common here, became the symbol of the LIPU oasis.

The reserve is open to visitors during daylight hours and offers walking trails with three observation hides for wildlife viewing. Parking is available nearby on Via Patrioti and Via Vanetti for easy access.

The reserve hosts the largest Grey Heron colony in Varese province, with more than 100 breeding pairs nesting annually among the reed beds. This concentrated population makes the site particularly noteworthy for observing these large wading birds.