Lakes: the finest sites in France

Lac Blanc (Aiguilles Rouges)

Perched at 2,352 metres in the Aiguilles Rouges massif, Lac Blanc offers one of the most emblematic panoramas of the Alps, facing the Mont Blanc massif.

Lac de la Muzelle

In the heart of the Écrins National Park, Lac de la Muzelle is a 9-hectare glacial lake with turquoise water, overlooked by the Roche de la Muzelle.

Le Lac Vert (Lago Verde)

Nestled at 1,834 metres' altitude in the Vallée Étroite, Lac Vert (Lago Verde) owes its intense emerald colour to the algae covering its shallow bed, with no apparent inflow or outflow.

Lac Bleu de lesponne

This middle-mountain Pyrenean lake: 47 ha, 120 m deep, shows a beautiful intense blue colour in fine weather.

Lac Sainte-Anne

The largest lake in the Queyras with 8.5 hectares, Lac Sainte-Anne peaks at 2,414 metres at the foot of the Pic Nord de la Font Sancte and shelters a seventeenth-century chapel.

Lac d'Aiguebelette

The 3rd largest natural lake in France, with emerald waters, largely private and closed to motor boats, at the foot of the Épine mountain.

Lac de Capitello

Nestled in the Rotondo massif, above the Restonica valley, Lac de Capitello is the deepest of the Corsican lakes at about 42 metres.

Lac de Melo

A stone's throw from Corte, two sites of wild beauty: on the one hand the Restonica valley leading to Lac de Melo at an altitude of 1,711 m and on the other the Tavignano gorges, among the most beautiful on the island.

Lac des Rives

Lac des Rives forms in a karst depression of the Larzac plateau, not far from Lodève, in the Hérault.

Lac du Goléon

At 2,458 metres' altitude facing La Meije, Lac du Goléon is a glacial lake with turquoise water, reached by a sporty hike from Valfroide.

Lac du Salagou

A reservoir lake with blue water ringed by hills of dark red argillite, the famous "ruffes" of the Lodévois, a volcanic and lunar landscape unique in the Hérault.

Lacs de Vens

A string of five glacial lakes between 2,286 and 2,327 metres' altitude in the Mercantour, overlooked by the Vens refuge, in the commune of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.

Le Lac Achard

A pretty mountain lake at 1,917 metres' altitude, easy to reach by a short hike from Chamrousse.

Le Lac Allos

A developed path climbs through undergrowth to reach the crater carved 20,000 years ago by the ancient glacier.

Le Lac Pavin

Due to a powerful volcanic explosion, Lac Pavin is a crater lake carved on the north flank of the Puy de Montchal (1,411 m).

Le Lac d'Oô

The beauty of the cirque entirely occupied by Lac d'Oô explains hikers' enthusiasm for this site.

Le Lac de Fischboedlé

This small lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of the Vosges.

Le Lac de Sainte Croix du Verdon

Lac de Sainte-Croix is the largest of the Verdon lakes.

Le Lac vert (Passy)

Lac Vert, in the commune of Passy in Haute-Savoie, is a natural lake of exceptional colour.

Les Etangs du Grand-Brun

The ponds of Grand-Brun and Mer Rouge: the Brenne, land of a thousand ponds, is a paradise for rare animal and plant species.

le lac du Lauvitel

At 1,530 metres' altitude, Lac du Lauvitel is the largest lake of the Écrins massif. It is reached from the hamlet of La Danchère. The Lauvitel is one of the most beautiful sites of the Oisans.

Lac d'Annecy

Lake Annecy, sometimes nicknamed the "blue lake", is a lake in France located in the Alps, in Haute-Savoie.

Lac de Bastani

Lac de Guerlédan et Gorges du Daoula

Lac de Guerlédan winds between the Daoulas gorges and the Quénécan forest. It is a superb site for walks or water activities.

Lac de Lispach et Tourbieres

This lake, a lake peat bog, with an area of 10 ha, lies at an altitude of 900 m. A very well laid-out path lets you go round it.

Lac de Nantua

Lac de Paladru

Lac de Pierre-Percée

Lake Pierre-Percée is the largest artificial lake in Lorraine, with an area of 304 hectares and 32 kilometres of shoreline.

Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Lac de Serre-Ponçon, with an area of 3,000 hectares, is the second largest artificial lake in Europe.

Lac de Trécolpas

Lac de l'Oriente

Lac de la Glère

Lac des Bouillouses

Lac des Bouillouses and the Pic del Pam (2,470 m). After leaving the tarmac of the car park, the path climbs into the firs and, after a few minutes, gives glimpses of unusual views of the Bouillouses.

Lac des Cammazes

Lac des Corbeaux

This magnificent body of water set in an ancient glacial cirque surrounded by a fine fir forest will let you enjoy varied fishing.

Lac du Bouchet

Lac du Bouchet, circular in shape, occupies the hollow of a crater. A fir wood surrounds it. The water level remains mysteriously constant; scientists have studied this phenomenon without really explaining it.

Lac du Der

Lac du Der in Champagne is one of the largest artificial lakes in Europe: 4,800 hectares of water, 80 km of shores.

Lac du Lampy

Lac du Montagnon

Lac du Vallon en Isère

Lac noir et Lac Blanc

After the retreat and melting of glaciers, moraines form natural dams in the valleys.

Lac vert

About 5 km from the Col de la Schlucht, a forest path leads to Lac Vert, also called Lac de Soultzeren, nestled at 1,044 m altitude on the Alsace side of the Vosges.

Lacs d'Ayous

A superb walk that will take you from lake to lake and offer you a unique panorama of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau.

Lacs de longemer et de Retournemer

Lac de Retournemer is a small lake of glacial origin, at an altitude of 776 m; it is the highest of the three lakes of the Vologne basin, and also the smallest with an area of a little over 5 ha.

Le Lac Chambon

Le Lac bleu de Champclause

This natural curiosity is in the Lauzière park of the Blue Lake in the commune of Champclause in the Haute-Loire département.

Le Lac de Blanchemer

With the same surface area as Lac des Corbeaux, Lac de Blanchemer will bring you calm and tranquillity.

Le Lac du Bourget

Lac du Bourget is the largest natural lake in France, 18 km long, surrounded by the Épine massif, La Chambotte, the Mont du Chat, Mont Revard and the Bauges.