In the Lake District National Park, 9.5km (6 miles) north of Keswick, Bassenthwaite is one of the most beautiful of Lakeland villages and makes the best center for exploring the woodlands of Thornthwaite Forest and Bassenthwaite Lake nearby. Bassenthwaite Lake is the northernmost and only true "lake" in the Lake District, and it's visited yearly by many species of migratory birds from the north of Europe.