They are thousands, sometimes even several million years old, or even man-made. They are of impressive beauty and home to hundreds of endemic plant and animal species: Europe’s great lakes.

They provide a refuge for animals and humans, are of biological importance, of aesthetic beauty and rich in legendary myths. But these wonderful water worlds are in danger, even though their discovery has often only just begun. Pollution from sewage and waste, overfishing, illegal development. The series captivates with impressive images of nature and shows what solutions are available to preserve these water paradises.

Republic of Ireland: Lough Corrib – Ireland’s Wild West

Ireland’s largest freshwater lake – Lough Corrib – begins just behind Galway, European Capital of Culture 2020. It covers an area of 200 square kilometers. The largest lake in the Republic of Ireland. Its shores stretch over a length of 400 kilometers. That is more than any other lake in the British Isles. This is where Ireland’s Wild West begins. Sparsely populated, full of rich history and ecologically significant.

North Macedonia/Albania: Ohrid and Prespa – Europe’s oldest lake landscape

Lake Ohrid is over 300 meters deep and covers more than 350 square kilometers between Macedonia, Albania and Greece. It is 1.4 million years old. Together with its smaller junior partner, Lake Prespa, which is located just 15 kilometers further east on the border between Macedonia and Greece, it forms Europe’s oldest lake landscape.

Sweden: Lake Mälaren – at the gates of the capital

Sweden is famous for its lakes Vänern and Vättern, the two largest in the European Union. The country’s third largest lake, Lake Mälaren, is perhaps the most interesting. It was not until the 10th century that this former Baltic Sea bay was transformed into a lake with a vast surface area of 1,100 square kilometers and a depth of up to 66 meters. Water for 1.3 million people is drawn from it. Lake Mälaren lies on the outskirts of Stockholm and is partly part of the metropolitan area.

Script and director: Sebastian Saam
DoP: Ralf Ilgenfritz, Susanna Salonen
Editor: Calle Overweg

Ireland

North Macedonia/Albania

Sweden