Photo : Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Le Lac Pavin
Lac Pavin is a crater lake in the commune of Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, in the Monts Dore, at 1,197 m altitude. It occupies a maar, a basin dug by an explosion caused by the contact between magma and water. Its eruption goes back about 6,900 years, which makes it the youngest volcano in mainland France.
Its surface is almost circular, with a diameter of 700 to 800 m and an area of 44 hectares. Its maximum depth reaches 92 m, the greatest of the Auvergne lakes. It has a rare feature: it is the only meromictic lake in France. Its deep waters, below 60 m, do not mix with those of the surface and remain deprived of oxygen. The waters shelter notably Arctic char.
Steep slopes, covered with forest, surround the basin, and a path lets you walk round it. The lake receives about 200,000 visitors a year and is surrounded by local legends.
