Lac du Bourget, Natural lake in Savoie, France
Lac du Bourget is a natural lake in Savoie that stretches 18 kilometers (11 miles) in length and measures 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) at its widest point. The deepest section reaches 145 meters (476 feet), making it the largest natural lake lying entirely within French territory.
The water body formed during the Würm glaciation when glaciers shaped the land and retreated. These geological processes created a basin that later filled with water.
Poet Alphonse de Lamartine spent time along the shores and dedicated several poems to the water. His verses helped bring this region into French literary tradition.
Fourteen ports around the shore offer more than 2,600 berths for sailing boats and provide access to water sports. Activities such as kayaking, rowing, and wakeboarding are available at different locations.
As a meromictic water body, the deep water does not mix with surface layers throughout the year. This rare characteristic leads to different conditions at varying depths.
Location: Savoie
Elevation above the sea: 2,315 m
Address: Lac du Bourget, France
GPS coordinates: 45.73333,5.86667
Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:05
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area has lakes from very different beginnings. Large lakes that formed from glaciers, like Lake Bourget or Lake Annecy, appeared after the glaciers in the Alps melted. They have deep water surrounded by mountains. In the Massif Central, volcanic lakes sit in old craters, such as Lake Pavin, which is nearly 7,000 years old, and Lake Issarlès, which goes down more than 100 meters deep. Some lakes are high up in the mountains, like Lake Guéry at 1250 meters, while others are in flat land or in deep valleys. There are also several artificial lakes built in the 20th century to make electricity or manage water flow. Lake Monteynard was created in 1962 on the Drac river, and Lake Saint-Étienne-Cantalès, held back by a dam on the Cère river since 1945, are popular spots for swimming, sailing, and fishing. Each lake feels different: clear and cold mountain waters, wooded shores in Jura, changing colors in volcanic craters. Visitors can walk around these places, go by boat, or just enjoy the views from the banks.
Hautecombe Abbey
3.1 km
Dent du Chat
7 km
Signal du Mont du Chat
8.9 km
Château de Châtillon
7.6 km
Château de Bourdeau
5.3 km
Plage du Bourget-du-Lac
8.7 km
Château du Bourget
9.1 km
Grotte de Lamartine
5.2 km
Château de Bonport
7.3 km
Aquarium du Lac du Bourget
4.8 km
Plage de Châtillon
7.6 km
Esplanade du Lac
4.4 km
Plage d'Aix les Bains
5.1 km
Jardin Vagabond
3.4 km
Château de château-Vieux
7.2 km
Coin du Bois
3.9 km
Base de loisirs des Mottets
9.5 km
Château de Bergin
4 km
Tunnel de Brison
2.9 km
Littoral de Tresserve
7.3 km
Maison forte de Prélian
4.7 km
Château de Château-Neuf
7 km
Plage du Rowing
5.4 km
Plage du Lido
7.5 km
Plage de Mémard
3.4 km
Plage des Mottets
9.2 km
Plage de Charpignat
8.1 km
Lac du Bourget - marais de Chautagne
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