Mountain lakes
Where blue water and skies meet on the horizon
Like surprise gifts nestling amid the highest summits, the Écrins high-altitude lakes are both dazzling and soothing. Head out to conquer the largest and deepest of them all: Lac du Lauvitel, set next to the Lauvitel reserve (closed to the public), created in 1955 to “monitor the natural dynamics of high-altitude ecosystems”. Lined with giant pines, this 62-acre cold water lake is a favourite habitat for the Fario trout. Visitors enjoy a choice of many hiking trails leading to the mesmerizing Lac des Pisses, Lac de Pétarel and Lac de l’Eychauda.
Mercantour National Park is home to a gem unique in Europe: Lac d’Allos. Find out how melting glaciers gave birth to this vast, high-altitude natural lake. The park’s unrivalled star in summer and winter alike, you can easily reach it on foot or with snowshoes. Was that a marmot? An ibex? Keep your eyes peeled and they might just pop out to say hello!
