Montagnon Lake, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

© thieury/Adobe Stoc

Montagnon Lake

Welcome to France’s most romantic lake. Montagnon Lake, or Lac du Montagnon in French, is nestled between the ridges of Mardas, Montagnon and l'Escala in the heart of the Pyrenees. With an area of over 206,000 hectares, the Pyrenees National Park has plenty of picturesque hiking trails that make it possible to explore the area's forests, meadows and mountains, but Montagnon Lake wins the prize for the region's most romantic natural landmark. Apart from its serene and isolated location, the lake is famed for its unique shape – an almost perfectly formed heart.

To witness this natural marvel for yourself, you’ll need to start from Aspe Valley. From here the hike takes approximately two hours to reach the 2,000-metre-high lake. If you have some remaining energy, a further half an hour of walking takes you to Montagnon d’Iseye where you’ll have a breathtaking panorama over peaks and valleys. While its remote location means Montagnon Lake is not easy to reach, this fairy-tale lake is worth the effort.