Lac de Divonne, body of water
Lac de Divonne is a man-made lake in Divonne-les-Bains covering about 45 hectares with water depths of roughly 3.5 meters. A promenade circles the shore for about 3.3 kilometers and connects to a supervised beach, picnic areas, and nearby facilities including a mini-golf course, nautical center for water sports, and a media library building.
Construction of Lac de Divonne began in 1961 to transform marshland on the French-Swiss border while extracting gravel for the Geneva-Lausanne highway. The project was completed by 1965 and turned an unappealing wetland into a recreation center, becoming a symbol of how the town modernized its landscape.
The lake became the centerpiece of community life in Divonne-les-Bains after it was created in the 1960s from marshland. Locals and visitors gather along the shores for recreation and picnics, making the water a social hub that shapes how people spend their free time.
The lake is open year-round with activities varying by season: summer offers swimming and water sports like sailing and kayaking, while spring and fall are better for walking and birdwatching along the shoreline. Picnic areas, sports facilities, and leisure parks are easily accessible from the promenade and welcoming to families and visitors of all ages.
The lake supplies water to the nearby Versoix River and helps regulate its flow during dry summer months, giving the water body an important ecological function beyond recreation. This dual role as both leisure space and water reservoir demonstrates how outdoor enjoyment and natural resource management can work together.
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