Lac d'Alfeld, reservoir in France

Lac d'Alfeld is a small reservoir near Sewen surrounded by forest and fed by natural streams. The water sits still and clear, with wooded shores that create a simple setting for walking and observation.

The dam at Lac d'Alfeld was built in 1883 under German administration, when Alsace belonged to the German Empire. It created a reservoir of about 10 hectares on the eastern slope of the Ballon d'Alsace, held back by a moraine above the Sewen valley. The stored water serves as a reserve for the rivers of the Doller valley in times of shortage.

The name Alfeld comes from a pasture that occupied the site before the lake was dug; the oldest record, Alfell, appears in the archives of Masevaux Abbey, and the final -d was added no earlier than the 19th century. Long linked wrongly to Aal, German for eel, the name is traced by Michel-Paul Urban (2003) to Latin alveola, for the glacial cirque's shape. Fishing is permitted today.

By car, take the D466 from Sewen toward the Ballon d'Alsace; the dam lies 3 km from the village. On foot, the lake is 1 h 40 from the church square in Sewen. Fishing is allowed, but swimming and diving are at your own risk. Downstream of the dam, the Seebach is the Grand Est's only canyoning site.

The name Alfeld comes from a pasture that occupied the site before the lake was dug; the oldest record, Alfell, appears in the archives of Masevaux Abbey, and the final -d was added no earlier than the 19th century. Long linked wrongly to Aal, German for eel, the name is traced since 2003 to Latin alveola, describing the glacial cirque holding the water.