Lac de Nantua, Glacial lake in Nantua, France.
The lake extends for 2.7 kilometers between limestone cliffs in the Jura Mountains, reaching depths of 43 meters at its deepest points.
Work carried out in 1856 reduced the water level by one meter, transforming the lake from its original size to its current 141-hectare surface.
The lake plays a central role in local gastronomy, particularly with pike and crayfish that influenced traditional recipes of the Ain department.
Visitors can participate in water activities including swimming, kayaking, and sailing during summer months, while winter allows for ice skating.
Alexandre Dumas wrote about this lake in his 1834 book Travel Impressions, describing its position between the surrounding mountain formations.
Location: Nantua
Location: Port
Elevation above the sea: 475 m
Address: Lac de Nantua, Nantua, France
GPS coordinates: 46.16212,5.58826
Latest update: June 30, 2025 15:43
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.
Viaduc de Nantua
3.1 km
Église Saint-Michel de Nantua
1.9 km
Musée départemental d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation de l'Ain et du Haut-Jura
1.9 km
Viaduc des Neyrolles
3.9 km
Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Nantua
1.9 km
Mémorial aux Déportés de l'Ain
1.1 km
Plage Albert Griot
719 m
Église Saint-Denis de Brion
2.8 km
Église Sainte-Madeleine de Port
1.2 km
Église Saint-Martin (Saint-Martin-du-Frêne)
3.6 km
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Géovreissiat
3.8 km
Église Saint-Maurice de Montréal-la-Cluse
3.1 km
Palais de justice de Nantua
1.9 km
Town hall of Port
1.2 km
Town hall of Montréal-la-Cluse
2.6 km
Building of the Savings Bank of Nantua
1.5 km
Mairie de Béard-Géovreissiat
4 km
War memorial of Saint-Martin-du-Frêne
3.7 km
Château de Douglas
2.9 km
War memorial of Nantua
1.4 km
War memorial of Montréal-la-Cluse
2.6 km
Orgue de tribune de l'église Saint-Michel de Nantua
1.9 km
Town hall of Les Neyrolles
4.2 km
Town hall of Brion
2.9 km
Town hall of Nantua
1.6 km
War memorial of Port
1.2 km
War memorial of Brion
2.9 km
War memorial of Béard-Géovreissiat
4 kmReviews
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