Vättern, Lake in Östergötland and Västergötland, Sweden
Vättern is a lake in southern Sweden that crosses eight municipalities and ranks among Europe's deepest inland waters. Its narrow elongated shape stretches between forested shores, while the clarity of its water allows visibility even at considerable depth.
Tectonic shifts formed the depression several hundred million years ago, while glaciers of the last Ice Age shaped the basin into its current form. After the ice retreated, meltwater filled the hollow and developed into the present body of water.
The name Vättern derives from the Old Swedish vætur, meaning water or lake. Since 1966 the Vätternrundan has sent some 20,000 cyclists around the 300 km shoreline each June. Thomas Nashe wrote of a bottomless "Lake Vether" in 1594, wrongly placing it in Iceland.
The shoreline is accessible at many points, with small towns and villages scattered all along the coast. A road circles the entire lake and provides regular viewpoints as well as opportunities to reach the water.
The water quality remains so pure that surrounding communities use it directly as drinking water without needing complex treatment processes. This natural purity makes the lake a rare resource in populated regions of Europe.
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