Lakes always have a certain flair of mystery about them. Every time I stand at the shore of a lake, I start to wonder what may be hidden below the smooth and calm surface. And indeed, there are enough stories and legends attached to just about any lake in the world to fire the imagination.
Sunken villages, bells of church towers still ringing underwater, capsized boats, murder as in the case of Lake Starnberg/Germany and King Ludwig of Bavaria, and, of course, the legendary monsters that lurk in the depth and are so elusive. The stories about what the supposed monsters are like are as fascinating as the attempts, scientific and otherwise, that have been made to see and even capture them. Examples include the long story about Nessie, the monster of Loch Ness in Scotland, and the monster of Lake Van in Turkey, which allegedly has been captured on video and even got a statue in the city of the same name.
Follow me on a treasure hunt of a different kind, which leads to a selection of lakes which by their very locations and appearances alone explain why people think that monsters are lurking in the depth of their waters. The images of some monsters are downright terrifying, whereas others seem to be rather cute. Truth or legend? Let’s find out.
Legends & Lore 