Lac des Settons, Artificial reservoir in Morvan Regional Natural Park, Château-Chinon, France.
Lac des Settons covers 3.67 square kilometers with a perimeter exceeding 13 kilometers, holding approximately 19.5 million cubic meters of water at an elevation of 586 meters in the Nièvre department of France.
Built between 1854 and 1861 through construction of a 20-meter-high granite dam, the lake was originally designed to regulate Yonne River traffic and facilitate timber rafting toward Paris during the 19th century.
Listed as a historic site in 1937, Lac des Settons has become a local symbol of water management and now hosts various environmental and regional history events within the Morvan natural park area.
Visitors can access the lake shores free of charge via the D978 road from Château-Chinon, with facilities including boat rentals, camping areas, picnic zones, and summer lifeguard supervision at designated beaches.
Several windmills submerged when the reservoir was filled occasionally become visible when water levels drop, providing glimpses of the former rural landscape transformed by the dam's construction in the mid-1800s.
Location: Château-Chinon (Ville)
Elevation above the sea: 586 m
Address: Lac des Settons, 58230, France 58230
GPS coordinates: 47.18131,4.06389
Latest update: December 1, 2025 13:38
The Burgundy-Franche-Comté region contains several major lakes of various origins. Lake Saint-Point stretches 6 kilometers in length and ranks as France's second largest natural lake. Lake Vouglans covers 1500 hectares, forming a reservoir along the Ain gorge. The Jura area features ancient natural lakes such as Lake Chalain, formed thousands of years ago. The Belvédère des 4 Lacs provides a viewpoint overlooking the Jura lakes. In the Morvan, historic reservoirs like Lac des Settons enable water activities. The reservoirs of the Canal de Bourgogne reflect the region's waterway heritage. Many of these bodies of water offer swimming facilities and equipment for water sports. The lakes are distributed across different natural landscapes of the region, from the Morvan to the Jura mountains.
Château de Ménessaire
8.2 km
Saut de Gouloux
6.9 km
Château de la Chaux
7.4 km
Réserve naturelle régionale des tourbières du Morvan
2.3 km
Maison du seigle
8.1 km
Château de Champcomeau
8.6 km
Église Saint-Léger de Gien-sur-Cure
5.5 km
Église Saint-Barthélemy de Montsauche-les-Settons
5 km
Église Saint-Sulpice de Planchez
6.2 km
Église Saint-Denis de Moux-en-Morvan
6.8 km
Croix de Gouloux
7 km
Maison-forte-
8.6 km
Plage du Lac des Settons
589 m
Scenic viewpoint
7.1 km
Scenic viewpoint
7 km
Scenic viewpoint
6.8 km
Scenic viewpoint
1.4 km
Obelisk, memorial
6.9 km
Statue of a gnome with a mouse on his hat
846 m
Work of art, sculpture
6.2 km
Faïencerie du Morvan
2.3 km
Grotte de la Vierge
5.9 km
Maquis Bernard
3 km
Wayside cross
8.1 km
Christianity, Catholic church building, wayside cross
6.9 km
Memorial, war memorial
6.8 km
Catholic church building, wayside cross, Christianity
6.3 km
Memorial
6.1 kmReviews
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