Lac de la Lauch, reservoir in France
Lac de la Lauch is a reservoir in the Vosges mountains of Alsace, held by a dam built into the mountainside. The water sits at around 920 meters elevation and is surrounded by conifer forest and sloping terrain on all sides.
The dam was built in the late 19th century to supply water for agriculture and industry in the valley below. Before its construction, the site already had a natural history as a glacial basin shaped thousands of years earlier.
The lake takes its name from the Lauch River, which flows through the valley toward Colmar. On weekends, families and walkers gather along the shore, and fishing is a common sight throughout the season.
A walking trail circles the lake and can be done in one to two hours, with most of the path running on flat ground. A few sections become steeper near the dam end, so sturdy shoes are a good idea.
Below the current reservoir lie the remains of a natural lake that existed around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age. Glaciers carved out the hollow in the ground long before the dam was ever built.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
