Lac du Baggersee, Artificial lake in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
Lac du Baggersee is an artificial lake in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, on the outskirts of Strasbourg. It has a beach, picnic areas, barbecue spots, sports grounds, and a restaurant, with supervised swimming in summer.
The lake was created between 1900 and 1905 as a gravel pit for the Strasbourg-Kehl railway. In 1908 Charles Urban bought the site and turned it into a swimming spot, and the town acquired it in 1962.
The name Baggersee is a tautology: See means lake in German, so people say lake twice without noticing. Locals often meet here for picnics and barbecues, and in summer the shore fills with families and sports groups.
The lake is open all year and you can walk around it freely. Swimming is supervised only in summer, and the beach is accessible for people with reduced mobility.
The lake sits right next to the Meinau district, yet its wooded banks and the nearby forest make it feel removed from the city. A fitness trail runs through that forest, and few visitors realize it is there.
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