Lago di Vagli

Lago di Vagli sits in the Apuan Alps north of Lucca and is Tuscany's largest reservoir, created in the 1940s by damming the Edron valley for hydroelectric power. Its defining peculiarity is the medieval village of Fabbriche di Careggine, which was permanently submerged when the valley was flooded. When the lake is periodically drained for maintenance — most recently in 1994 — the ruins re-emerge complete with a church tower, house facades, and a bridge, drawing crowds from across Italy to witness the ghostly spectacle. Day-to-day the lake offers quiet forested hiking trails, fishing, and sweeping views toward the white marble ridges of the Apuan Alps.