Lake Gentau in the French Pyrenees Apr 5, 2026

Ever wondered what a high-mountain lake looks like before the hikers arrive? At over 1,940 metres above sea level, Lake Gentau sits quietly in the Pyrenees of south-west France, its cold waters reflecting granite slopes and shifting clouds. Reached on foot from the Ossau Valley, the lake has long been a pause point for shepherds and walkers crossing these summer pastures. Look up and you will spot the dark volcanic shape of Pic du Midi d"Ossau nearby. Why does that peak matter? For centuries it served as a natural landmark guiding travellers through the mountain passes between France and Spain. Today it sits near the western boundary of the Pyrenees National Park. On calm days the surface turns mirror-still, reflecting sky, rock and the sharp outline of the Ossau peak. Not a bad reward for a mountain walk.

© MICHAUX Stéphane/Hemis.fr/Alamy

palette

Today in History

Apr 5, 2024The Bahamas
Apr 5, 2025Gaztelugatxe islet at sunset, Basque Country, Spain

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 16, 2025Temple of Philae, Aswan, Egypt
Nov 29, 2024Mont-Saint-Michel, Normandy, France
Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida
Dec 17, 2024Reine, Norway
Dec 5, 2024Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States
Nov 28, 2023Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Canada
Mar 26, 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, Canada
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon, USA
Dec 12, 2023Poinsettias
Jan 14, 2024Whooper swans
Oct 27, 2025Thick-billed raven
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Navarra, Spain
Feb 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, UK
Feb 12, 2026Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jan 24, 2025Strokkur geyser in Iceland
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle
Oct 2, 2023Verdon Gorge, France
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Mar 11, 2024Koala sleeping in a eucalyptus tree
Sep 4, 2023Marshes of Bourges, France
Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Oct 6, 2024Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon Recreation Area, Utah
Apr 21, 2025Joshua trees under the Milky Way, California, United States
Oct 7, 2025Autumn colours below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado, United States
Jun 28, 2025Mannheim Water Tower, Germany
Jul 15, 2025Great Basin National Park, Nevada, United States
Jan 1, 2026Arctic fox
Dec 7, 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
Oct 26, 2023Schönbrunn Palace Park, Vienna, Austria