Lago di Vagli — The Submerged Village

The Lago di Vagli in the Garfagnana is one of Italy's most unusual lakes — an artificial reservoir created in the 1940s that submerged the medieval village of Fabbriche di Careggine. In exceptional drought years, the reservoir is drained for maintenance and the ghost village emerges from the water: church tower, stone houses, roads, and all. The last full emergence was in 1994, drawing 600,000 visitors. Even when submerged (which is most of the time), the lake is extraordinarily beautiful — a turquoise mirror reflecting the white marble Apuan peaks above. The ring trail around the lake follows paths through chestnut forest and along the shoreline, with constant views of the water and mountains. The village of Vagli di Sopra, perched above the lake, has an excellent museum documenting the submerged village with old photographs. The bar/restaurant in the village is a favourite with local hikers.