The database brings together physical, chemical and biological data from approximately 350 European mountain lakes. These were collected as part of a one off survey undertaken in 2000. Lakes were sampled for a range of contemporary and sub-fossil organisms including planktonic crustaceans, rotifers, littoral invertebrates, chironomids, diatoms and cladocerans. Survey and cartographic data were used to determine environmental characteristics at each site. Organic pollutants and trace metal concentrations were measured in the lake sediment. More information on this dataset can be found in the Freshwater Metadatabase - BF16 (http://www.freshwatermetadata.eu/metadb/bf_mdb_view.php?entryID=BF16).