Varese Lake (Italian: Lago di Varese) is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, in the north of Italy.

The birth of Lake Varese dates back to about 15,000 years ago, at the same time as that of nearby Lake Maggiore, when the retreat of the Verbano glacier created the large basin in which the city and its lake are located today, which at the time had a much larger surface and included much of the surrounding lakes.

Flora Lying between the basins of Lake Varese and Lake Comabbio, the Palude Brabbia, covering 459 hectares, is a nature reserve that protects one of the best-preserved examples of lowland peat bog.

The swamp is an alternation of areas covered by dense aquatic vegetation, with large reeds, willows and alders, sometimes open water, the so-called clear, small bodies of water with a regular shape.

Fauna There are about 170 species of birds that frequent the area of Lake Varese.