Lac Vert, Mountain lake in Passy, France
Lac Vert is a mountain lake in the French Alps situated at roughly 1,266 meters elevation. The water displays a distinctive green hue and is surrounded by alpine forest and rocky terrain.
The lake is thought to have formed after the 1471 collapse of the Dérochoir, which dammed the Arve and flooded Servoz. The unstable debris kept moving for centuries, and the lake filled one of the depressions left by rotational sliding. A later collapse on 12 August 1751, described by Vitaliano Donati for King Charles-Emmanuel III of Sardinia, further shaped the site.
The lake carries a local legend about a white chamois and a mountain spirit whose tears shaped the waters. This story is part of how people in the region connect with the place and its natural features.
A marked walking trail circles the water, taking about 15 minutes to complete on foot. A restaurant and facilities near the parking area offer rest and refreshment during your visit.
The lake has no surface tributaries; it is fed by underground springs seeping through the karst of the Rochers des Fiz, which keeps the water transparent enough to see the rocky, silty bottom. Five pale rock blocks emerge along the southern shore, and the green tint comes from cyanobacteria, not from submerged trees.
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