Tucked into the mountains of central Italy, Lago di Scanno is the famous heart-shaped lake in Abruzzo that tends to pop up in travel photos without much explanation. Sitting at around 930 metres above sea level, the heart-shaped lake in Italy is located in the region of Abruzzo, in the province of L’Aquila.
Lago di Scanno sits within one of Italy’s most important protected areas, the Abruzzo National Park, a vast stretch of mountain terrain known for its wildlife and untamed scenery. Unlike glacial lakes found in northern Italy, Lago di Scanno was created by a dramatic geological event. Thousands of years ago, a major landslide from Monte Genzana blocked the course of the Tasso River, forming a natural basin that gradually filled with water.
